The Kitsune Diaries
by NaokoYouko
Summary: The story of Yu Yu Hakusho from the first person perspective of my original character. Pairings: HieiOC in later chapters. Flames will be fed to the black dragon. Disclaimer: I only own Naoko and Silrowen. I don't own YYH, or the LotR Elvish language.
1. Kuronue

The Kitsune Diaries

By

Youko Naoko

My name is Naoko, and I am a kitsune. You may be thinking, 'what the hell is this girl talking about? How can a fox write an autobiography?' If you are, in fact, one of the narrow-minded baka ningens thinking that, allow me to rephrase my opening line:

My name is Naoko, and I am a fox spirit. I take a humanlike form and live among other humans in Mushiyori City. You won't know me when I walk past you on a crowded street, but I will know you. In addition to my powers of illusion that come with the kitsune's blood, I am an earth demon. I focus the chakras of earth in my crystal pendant to use as I wish, and I'm damn good at it. I've had over six hundred thirty years of practice. Scared yet? Perhaps you're feeling threatened knowing you have a demon in your midst? I can't help but laugh at you from my human home in a human city with a cappuccino by my left hand, typing this at my computer. Me, threatening? Ridiculous. I have the appearance of a five-foot tall sixteen-year-old girl, and a slender one at that. How could I possibly be threatening?

_She_, on the other hand, is another story.

My full kitsune form…the _true_ Youko Naoko. She is a cold, calculating, merciless killer, who would tear out a ningen's throat sooner than look at him. She resides in a special part of my conscious mind, but when she comes out, I have no control. My appearance completely changes. I gain at least ten inches in height, along with fox ears and tail a shade of green to match my hair. My light brown eyes become catlike, and an ice cold scarlet. Then there's her favorite part of the transformation: half-inch long vampiric fangs. Youko is the only one I am afraid of, and she knows it. I can feel her eyes on me now, burning through my soul as I type my story unsuspectingly. That's enough about us. Now I can begin the full story of my…rather, _our_ life…or at least most of it, (my printer lacks six hundred thirty seven years' worth of paper) just the way it happened.

Chapter 1: Kuronue

I spent most of the earlier years of my life in Makai (demon world) with no real distinction between Youko and myself. I had the ability to change into the form I have now, but I didn't use it unless I had to. The only one I trusted was my elder brother, Youko Kurama. What do you mean by elder, you may ask? I am by no means the oldest youkai on earth, and I'm somewhat hurt that you think so. Kurama is at least seven hundred. Anyway, Kurama and I were both bandits, and we were indescribably good at what we did. But we weren't well known…yet. One evening, he was teaching me the finer arts of subtlety, and our target was a bat youkai sitting on a rock and reading a map. Clearly some lost idiot, he told me. I remember that moment more than I remember any other second in my whole life. His leathery wings were folded as his indigo blue eyes scanned that little piece of paper from under a torn wide-brimmed hat. Sure, he was wearing the most unusual outfit I had ever seen, but there was something about how he twisted a few strands of his jet-black ponytail around his hand in concentration… something almost…cute. My onii-sama didn't see that, however. He did see the sapphire right next to this unknown youkai, though. Well…that's Kura-sama for you…narrow-minded as always. Anyway, he wanted me to steal that sapphire. We both thought it would be easy, with the half-wit not even looking, but (and please excuse me as I use extreme sarcasm) oh, how wrong we were. Slowly and silently, I walked forward, sneaking up on him as he looked the other way. _/Almost too easy…/_ I thought. I had my ebony-nailed hand on the dark blue gemstone when my assumed hapless victim grabbed my wrist without even looking away from the map.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked me in a calm, toneless voice. I was too stunned to respond for a moment.

"How…how did you…?" Finally, he looked over at me.

"Tch. Just a kid, and an amateur." I felt my pale face get very warm with sudden rage. I pulled my hand away (looking back, I should've taken the sapphire…) and snapped,

"Amateur! What're you talking about!" He answered in the same calm voice.

"Just because you're a kitsune doesn't make you an expert thief."

"Oh? And…you are…" He stood up, revealing himself to be almost six inches taller than me. All too late, I saw a scythe glittering in his other hand. I thought he was going to kill me, I really did, but he gave me a friendly smile.

"My name's Kuronue."  
end of chapter one


	2. Shattered Reflections

Chapter 2: Shattered Reflections

Kuronue joined the two of us and it wasn't long before we became the most feared trio of thieves in the entire demon realm. It took even less time for the two of us to become inseparable. I tried not to admit it or show it, (looking back, I acted just like a certain friend of mine I will discuss later,) but I was happy to have a friend like him…unspeakably happy, one could say. Something felt different every time I looked at him, but I had grown up with little concept of love, past what I had for my brother. Nevertheless, what I felt for Kuronue was…wonderful. If ignorance is bliss, I was the single stupidest fox in Makai. The pivotal moment in our relationship, however, came the night I received my chakra necklace. It was a fairly warm night (Makai has no seasons, it's either hot, cold, or various scales of the two) as I rested in a tree overlooking a lake. Glancing down at my reflection in the dark water, I sighed. Instantly, I stopped myself. _/No. You're above this/_ I thought. _/Youko Naoko is not a hopeless, lovesick girl. /_ But I was, and I knew it. Suddenly, a small rock flew into the lake, disturbing the calm, black surface.

"Hey, kid." Kuronue said, landing on the same branch I was on, playing one person catch with a rock in his left hand. He always called me 'kid' (his affectionate nickname for me, I assume) because I was at least one hundred years his junior.

"Oh, hi, Kuronue."

"Whatcha doing?"

"Just thinking, I guess." My tail was twitching. _/What the hell…/ _That only ever happens when I'm a) scared b) nervous or 3) excited.

"Thinking? About what?"

"I don't know. What's there to think about?"

"I dunno. You wanna hear the story of what I did today?" I sighed in mock exasperation. Kuronue was always like that…trying to make my brother or myself smile.

"Very well, Kuronue. Go ahead."

"Well, I had heard stories of a beautiful earth demon princess living in a palace nearby. She was supposedly so beautiful that any guy who looked at her either instantly fell in love or lost his mind."

"Yes…" He was stalling to build the suspense, but it hardly affected me.

"So…I found her palace and snuck in, past all the guards, traps, and everything else. Finally, I found her, sleeping in a tower room. Her hair was the crimson and gold colors of autumn leaves, framing her pale face perfectly. Then, I saw it…the source of her power. It was an amber colored crystal on a black string around her neck."

"So…what happened?"

"What do you think?" he asked with a devilish smirk. "I stole it. But, do you want to know something?"

"What?" Kuronue took something out of his pocket.

"For all the legends, her beauty was nothing compared to yours." The bat youkai slid a black string around my neck, on the end of which was the crystal. "You'll use it far better than she would."

"…K-Kuronue…" Sliding his arms around my shoulders, he pulled me close and kissed me. In that one moment, I knew what it was like to be in love, and I wanted to keep feeling that way.

"Naoko," he said, actually using my first name, "I know what you've been thinking lately. I can see it in every motion you've made."

"Wh-what're you saying?"

"I love you, Naoko." Inari, I couldn't take it anymore. I just threw my arms around him, and, I admit it, I started crying into his shoulder.

"Kuronue…I…I want to spend the rest of my life with you, I honestly do."

"It's okay, Naoko. You don't have to cry about it…" That was one of the only times Kuronue wasn't smiling playfully. Everything was perfect…like a total dream.

Sadly, I woke up.

end of chapter two


	3. The End of an Era

Chapter 3: The End of an Era

The three of us were the greatest bandits in Makai. We were feared…but resistance still plagued us. One night in particular, I will never forget. It was dark, at a palace surrounded by a bamboo forest. We made our usual grand exit, the golden mirror of Earendil in my hand. _/It was easy…too easy. /_ No sooner had those words crossed my mind than a group of lanterns signaled the approach of the palace guards.

"And the chase is on." my overly dramatic brother said, flashing an excited smirk. We started running through the forest, aware that it was loaded with traps. Out of nowhere, my crimson eyes saw the chain on Kuronue's lucky pendant snap. His pale hand scrambled to catch it before it fell, but failed. As soon as it hit the ground, there was a reflex motion through my body. I spun around to get it, knowing how important it was to him. My ebony-nailed hand closed on the blood red stone, but suddenly, Kuronue pushed me out of the way. I somersaulted twice, and then blinked. Dazed, I turned to ask what had happened.

"Kuronue, wh- _KURONUE_!" What I saw there etched itself into my mind and haunts my nightmares to this very day. A trap of sharpened bamboo stalks had fallen, and would have killed me, if Kuronue hadn't saved me and consequently become its victim. One of the stalks went right through his ankle, and blood was everywhere. I was vaguely aware of my brother yelling something, but that didn't matter. All that was of any consequence to me was that my one true love was dying.

"Naoko, get out of here!" Ridiculous.

"No, I won't leave you!" I held the mirror tight against my chest with a shaking arm.

"You have a daughter to take care of, stupid!" For a fleeting moment, my mind went to our daughter and his reflection, Silrowen. She was only fifteen.

"Kuronue…!" I took his hand tightly in mine.

"I love you, Naoko."

"…I love you too, Kuronue." My hand slipped out of his as Kurama and I ran as fast as we could. When we returned to our campsite, I sensed that Silrowen had seen what had happened and had run away. I came away from the last escapade of the three bandits with a crimson pendant, a golden mirror and a badly broken heart. The mirror of Earendil is hanging on my wall now, and when I look into it, I remember why we stole it. It has the power to show someone's true self. What did I see when I last looked into it, you ask? My Youko form, with blood coated fangs. It proves what I knew all along:

I am, and always will be, a cold-blooded murderer.

end of chapter three


	4. The Beginning

Chapter 4: The Beginning

I blamed myself for what had happened to Kuronue. I still do. Kurama and I both knew the Spirit World hunters were closing in on us…faster than we expected. One day, we screwed up another burglary. As Kurama and I sensed a hunter approaching, he told me to go hide in the nearby forest. I did, and he turned into his nine-tailed kitsune form to lure whoever it was away. Suddenly, a gunshot rang out. With my back to a tree, I sank to the ground and started crying. The cold air blew around me and soon I felt it. Just a few small traces, but it was there…my brother's energy. That could only mean he was still alive. I took a deep breath and sighed. What would Kurama have done if he were injured and trying to escape? That was easy, he would probably hide out in the human realm. So…that's what I would do. Finding a portal, I assumed my humanlike form and stepped through. At that moment, my personalities began to split and I knew I was in for something. Then, I assumed a human name, Kinomoto Chitose, and began my new life and sixteen year search…alone. I lived in an apartment in Mushiyori City, and blended in with all the idiot ningens…aside from my hair color, which stood out like you wouldn't believe. I had all but given up after the first fifteen and a half years…until what came next.

end of chapter four


	5. Who In The Name of Makai is THIS Jerk?

Chapter 5: Who in the Name of Makai is This Jerk?

I figured it was over. The traces of my brother's energy I sensed were rare and hardly noticeable, so I had pretty much given up, accepting a human life. After all, I had a part-time job as a writer, and I liked it. I actually _liked_ living as a human. One particular spring day, I was in a park, surrounded by blossoming sakura trees. Then, my demonic senses, sharp as ever, picked up a small sound behind me. I didn't move, not wanting whoever it was to know I had heard. Suddenly, I felt someone behind me mounting their assault. In a flash, I had pulled a black rose-my signature-from my hair and created the Rose Whip, an organic weapon I had learned from my brother.

"Rose Whiplash!" My thorned weapon gained supersonic speed and cracked ten or twenty times in four seconds. The assassin was thrown backwards, and all I saw was a dark blur crashing into a tree. He straightened up and glared at me with smoldering crimson eyes as he placed his glittering katana in its sheath. His spiky black hair was offset by a white starburst just above his white headband. The artist in my mind analyzed him…wearing just black and white; he would be a perfect study in monochromatic colors…except for the inferno blazing in his eyes. Something was incredibly offsetting about that headband, though, like it was concealing something…evil.

"Who or _what_ are you?" he asked in a cold voice. I almost forgot my false name.

"K-Kinomoto Chitose."

"You're a demon. What's your _real_ name?" My heart leapt into my throat.

"…Youko Naoko. I'm looking for my brother." He looked mildly surprised.

"Your…brother?"

"Yeah…before you say another word, who the hell are you?"

"My name's Hiei. Jaganshi Hiei. I think I know your brother. Come on, foxgirl."

"Yes, Hiei-sama." That very moment, Youko and I became two different personalities. I had used the one honorific she never would have.

Now I was just…Naoko.

end of chapter five


	6. Experience and Immaturity

Chapter 6: Experience and Immaturity

Hiei-sama and I had been walking in an awkward silence, when I had the bright idea of starting a conversation.

"S-so…how did you come across my brother?"

"It's a long story."

"Oh…" I looked at him, coming to the realization that he was my height. "Can I ask you something?"

"I doubt I have a choice in the matter."

"W…well…what exactly are you? Your energy is like a fire demon's, but…it's also like that of an ice demon."

"Hn." he replied. I fell silent and didn't push the question. I did consider reading his mind, but decided against it. If he wanted me to know, he would tell me, and _clearly_, he didn't want me to know. Suddenly, he stopped. "Anyway, foxgirl…try not to be shocked."

"Shocked? Why would I be?"

"Because your brother's standing right behind you." Slowly, I turned around to see a human teenager with leaf green eyes and scarlet hair. He stared at me like he didn't know I was real, and I felt a huge smile play across my face.

"There's only one youkai who can sneak up on me…Kura-chan." I jumped on him, throwing my arms around his neck.

"I missed you, Naoko-chan."

"Same here, Kura-chan…"  
"If I may interrupt this disgustingly happy reunion," Hiei said, "shouldn't we be getting back to the plan?"

"Yes, you're right…Where's that accomplice you spoke of?"

"Dead. He was incompetent."

"So we'll have to steal them on our own…" I smirked.

"Up to your old tricks, Kurama? I'm in." Hiei-sama glared at me.

"You are not involved in this. A simple child such as yourself lacks the capabilities to break into Spirit World's stronghold." I felt myself turning red with anger and embarrassment. Kurama started to say something.

"Actually, she-" I was way too angry to let him explain, so I interrupted.

"Oh, really, Hiei-_sama_?" I said it as sarcastically as I could. "I'm willing to bet I've _lived _longer than you, _stolen_ far more than you, and killed _thousands_ more demons than you." I advanced slightly on him with every emphasized word. The spiky haired youkai didn't respond, just stared at me expressionlessly.

"Age and experience are two different things, little fox. You'll come to realize that when you've become less immature." A muscle under my left eye twitched.

"Immature? Immature!" I couldn't figure out a decent comeback. "Oh, Inari, I despise you…and _don't_ call me 'little fox'."

end of chapter six


	7. The Three Artifacts and Yusuke Urameshi

Chapter 7: The Three Artifacts and Yusuke Urameshi

I broke into the Spirit World vaults with Kurama and Hiei-sama, and we stole the Three Artifacts of Darkness. Kurama took the Forlorn Hope, Hiei-sama received the Shadow Sword, and I got some soul-stealing ball. I admit, I wanted the sword, but I was happy I didn't get the mirror. (I was worried about what I would see if I looked into it) As we returned to the Ningenkai, I looked at the green soul-stealer, which was glowing softly. I knew I would never use it. Youko probably would have. She would have gone on a random killing spree and had the time of her life.

"What the hell is your problem?"

"…Nothing, Hiei-sama."

"That half-rate Reikai Tantei of Koenma's will probably come after us soon," the crimson-eyed youkai continued. At the time, I had no idea who he was talking about. Hiei-sama glanced at me. "He'll probably come after you first," he said dismissively, "since you're the weakest one here." That muscle underneath my eye twitched again.

"Actually, he's got a point, Naoko."

"Can you handle a fight against a pathetic human…or do you want to just give me the artifact and back out now?" I glared at Hiei-sama, really wanting to hit him.

"I am a kitsune. As such, I don't _ever_ back out of anything." I turned and started to leave when Kurama spoke.

"On that note, I fear I must withdraw from this alliance." Shocked, I slipped on a few sakura blossoms and fell with a loud thud. I rocketed up and stared at my scarlet haired brother, who looked at me. "Sorry I had to ruin your kitsune pep talk."

"Kurama," I shouted, "what in holy Inari's name is wrong with you!"

"Fine," Hiei snapped, "give me that mirror."

"I'll keep it, thanks. I need it for something."

"Kura-chan…" Suddenly, a black haired human wearing an entirely green outfit emerged from the forest.

"Finally found ya!" I stared at him, wondering, _/who the hell is this idiot/_ when the fire youkai beside me asked that very question.

"Who the hell are you?"  
"Urameshi Yusuke, Spirit Detective! I'm here to arrest the three of you." My elder brother vanished into the shadows, saying,

"Sorry, I don't have time to get arrested tonight. Maybe next time." Hiei-sama glanced at me for a split second, then back at Yusuke.

"You seem like more trouble than you're worth…Foxgirl! Take care of him."

"Very well, Hiei-sama." He teleported into thin air, leaving just the two of us. I held up my artifact, staring at the human.

"I assume you want this…Urameshi, was it?" His dark brown eyes stared at me in suspicion.

"Yeah, as a matter of fact I do." Placing it on the ground beside me, I lightly kicked it and it rolled the seven or eight feet over to him. In one slow, deliberate motion, I removed my signature ebony flower from my apple green hair. It was a typical intimidation tactic I had used once or twice before. Yusuke stepped back and went into a fighting stance as the rose in my hand elongated to my whip.

"Please, you first. Oh, and if you have any morals or things like that about not hitting a girl, forget them if you want to live."

"Wait just one second."

"Yes?" I asked. I always gave my opponents the luxury of a short conversation before their deaths.

"Who or what are you, and why do you answer to that midget?"

"I follow Hiei-sama's orders because he has the power to kill me. That's the way it is in the Makai: the strongest make the rules. My name is Youko Naoko, and I am a kitsune."

"Who was the other guy?" he snapped impatiently.

"Temper, temper, Urameshi. That 'other guy' you speak of is Youko Kurama, my brother. If you dare speak a negative word about him, this whip will claim your head."

"Look who's talking about temper, hypocrite. Forget your meds today?" That was what really ticked me off. I cracked my whip at him, and the pre-match conversation was over.

"As I said, you first." He flew at me, and the kitsune inside of me analyzed his style. I saw he was a fighter relying on direct physical attacks. I couldn't have been facing a more perfect mismatch for my long-range weapon. Yusuke aimed a punch at me, which I sidestepped.

"Rose Whiplash!" The emerald colored whip slashed across the detective's body, and he cried out in pain. 'Kinomoto Chitose' hadn't had a good fight in sixteen years, and the fox within loved the human's screams. I relented, allowing him to catch his breath.

"Come now, won't you even present a challenge?" He snarled angrily. My full Youko form was pushing to be let out and I complied, changing into the body I had not allowed to surface for years. "Perhaps _I_ can teach you respect. Rose Whiplash!" Yusuke screamed again and I smirked, licking my razor sharp fangs in a move maybe considered seductive.

I was sure this fight was mine.

end of chapter seven


	8. The Forlorn Hope of Minamino Shuichi

Chapter 8:The Forlorn Hope of Minamino Shuichi

"Heh. Shut up." Yusuke stood up, a defiant smirk on his face, "you talk too much." I arched one eyebrow, waiting to hear more. "You're just a girl with a crush who wants someone to notice her."

"Be silent, insubordinate human!" I cracked the whip again and this time it curled around my waist. I drew my katana from the forest green sheath at my belt. "Well? Come at me."

"Whatever you say." He darted at me and I lost track of him for a moment, underestimating his speed. My crimson eyes glanced around for a moment, but I didn't see him. Then, I realized what he was doing. _/He's in the tree behind me…about to mount a counterattack. /_ My chakra crystal glowed and a branch smashed into Yusuke, swatting him like a fly. There was a resounding crash as he fell, and I replaced my sword, returned to my other form, and unwound the whip from my waistline.

"It appears our fight is over." He tried to get up, but failed. I raised my whip to strike.

"Rose Whipla-" Suddenly, he was gone. I froze for a split second, surprised. Again, I had underestimated his speed.

"Spirit Gun!" WHAM. There was a flash of blue light and something crashed right into me with a fiery, paralyzing force. Dropping my whip, I collapsed and heard Yusuke snicker as he walked in front of me.

"H…how did you…"

"I was waiting for you to change back. I knew I couldn't hide from the fox's eyes, so I stalled."

"I can't…believe you…" I got up on shaking legs and held one hand over the coiled whip. Returning to its previous form, it floated up to my hand and I replaced it in my hair. "Take the artifact. I don't need it…" I hesitated for a moment as I tried to use my telepathic powers to get a lock on my onii-sama.

"What are you doing?" Urameshi Yusuke was not a threat to me as long as I didn't attack, so I told him.

"I'm worried about my older brother."

"Who, the redhead?"

"…Yeah. Listen, if you're going to look for him…let me come with you." He stared at me for a moment.

"Fine, whatever."

That same night…

Yusuke walked through a crowded street as I followed from the rooftops above. Then, I saw a flash of scarlet. _/Kura-chan…/_ I thought to myself. He stopped and so did Yusuke. They talked for a few moments, and even though I could hardly hear them, I got the basic idea.

"Give me three days. Then, I'll return it." Kurama looked completely devoid of any emotion. A few moments later, they went their separate ways and I followed my brother.

"Kura-sama!" He stopped walking so I could catch up. When I did, he continued. "What's going on?" I asked. "You're up to something, and you'll tell me what that is." He sighed and looked at me sadly.

"Naoko, up until a while ago, you were my only family. When I possessed this human form, I gained a new life, much like you did…'Chitose'."

"What are you saying?"

"My human form is Minamino Shuichi, and my oka-san, Shiori, suffers from a debilitating disease. There is no substantial cure…but with the Forlorn Hope, I can save her."

"…Kurama, you've changed."

"As have you, Naoko." He sighed and a thought occurred to me.

"That mirror…comes at a price, doesn't it? It's too good not to."  
"Your perception has not faded, imoutochan. Yes, it comes with a price…my life." I stopped in my tracks.

"Wh-what! Kurama, what the hell is wrong with you? You would sacrifice your life for some…some human!" He turned and glared at me with eyes of green fire, a stare that I only ever thought Youko Kurama capable of.

"I would, Naoko. You may not be able to understand now," he turned and kept walking, "…but maybe you will someday." I spun around and ran as fast as I could, practically vanishing into thin air.

end of chapter eight


	9. Shuichi's Recklessness

Chapter 9: Shuichi's Recklessness and a Dramatic Rescue

I followed the trail of Spirit Energy that I knew would lead me to the Spirit Detective's location. Soon, it ended at the door of an apartment, which I lightly knocked on. A brunette woman opened it, and I was caught by surprise.

"H-hi, my name's Kinomoto Chitose. Does Urameshi Yusuke live here?"

"…You don't work for the truancy office, do you?"

"No, I'm just a friend of his."

"Yeah, he's here. Come on in." I walked inside and there was an earsplitting cry of "YUSUKE! Get over here!" The dark-haired detective walked in as the brunette left. He looked at me in surprise.

"What, want a rematch?"

"Not today. I need your help…Kurama needs your help."

Three days later:

The full moon shone bright over the quiet city, as I stood on the rooftop of a building overlooking the hospital. Kurama was standing on the roof, mirror on the ground in front of him.

"Come _on_, Urameshi…" I said to myself with a nervous glance around. "…If you're late, I swear I'll kill you…" Then, I heard his voice, speaking softly.

"Mirror of darkness, awaken in the moonlight. Let your face show my desire, so that I may invoke your power." There was a pale light, and an ethereal voice spoke.

"This woman's health and happiness…is that what you ask me to grant?"

"Urameshi…where in Inari's name are you?" Suddenly, the human appeared just as the mirror flashed a blinding white. I looked away, sure that my brother was dead…

When I looked back, Shuichi was standing up, dazed, while Yusuke was unconscious on the ground. The redhead turned and ran inside as I descended to the hospital's roof.

"Urameshi." He got up, eyes spinning. I snapped my fingers in his face and he looked at me, almost comical surprise in his expression.

"Oh…hi, kitsune girl."

"It's Naoko…and thanks, Urameshi. I appreciate it."

"…Yeah, no problem."

end of chapter nine


	10. What Do You Mean, ‘We Got Caught’?

Chapter 10: What Do You _Mean_, 'We Got Caught'?

It was maybe two days after the Forlorn Hope fiasco, and I was approached by Kurama. He looked borderline nervous as he said,

"We're supposed to appear before Koenma tonight." If I had my fox ears, they would've pricked up immediately.

"We're so dead."

"Way to keep it positive, Naoko." he said with a note of sarcastic morbidity in his voice. He continued, saying, "Although, I don't fully disagree with you." He walked out and a smirk came to my face. _/I wonder how Urameshi caught that arrogant bastard… / _I thought with a laugh.

That night…

I was standing between Kura-chan and Hiei-sama as the ever so wimpy-looking Koenma analyzed all of us with oversized brown eyes. He spoke softly in a somewhat high-pitched voice.

"First…Kurama. No previous convictions. In other words: we haven't caught you yet. However, you have been inactive for sixteen years, and most of the Makai is out of our jurisdiction. In addition, you used the Forlorn Hope to save a human, and returned it. Next…Naoko." My hands twitched and I held my breath. "You also have no previous convictions and have been inactive for more than a decade. While you did resist Urameshi Yusuke, you relinquished your artifact willingly." I sighed. It looked like Kurama and I would be getting off light, thank Inari. "And finally…Jaganshi Hiei. You fought Yusuke and refused to give up the Shadow Sword, not to mention endangered Keiko Yukimura _and_ Botan."

"Hn. Get to the point."

"However, you have no previous convictions, so I'm willing to let all three of you off easy. You will accompany Yusuke as Reikai Tantei until further notice." That familiar muscle under my left eye began to twitch again. He wasn't serious…Youko Naoko, Miss Anarchy, working for an _authority figure_…with a _human_! _/Someone wake me up from this damn nightmare/_ I thought.

end of chapter ten


	11. Yukina

Author's note: Okay, Naoko here. I was hardly involved in our first mission together, so I'll give you the abridged version. Kurama, Hiei-sama, Yusuke, Kuwabara Kazuma, and I attacked Labyrinth Castle with the aim of defeating the Four Saint Beasts: Genbu, Byakko, Seiryu, and Suzaku, and saving the Ningenkai…cliché, huh? Well, of course we did it. If we didn't, I wouldn't be talking to you, would I?

Chapter 11: Yukina

I had accepted my job as a Spirit Detective and even befriended Yusuke…but I couldn't stand Kuwabaka. No, that is not a typo. Anyway, I was sleeping in a tree near the temple owned by Genkai, Yusuke's instructor, when I heard a quiet sound nearby. I didn't even have to open my eyes to tell who it was or that they were up to something.

"Where are you going, Hiei-sama?"

"Hn. None of your business."

"Oh yeah?" I jumped down from the tree. "I can read most of your thoughts, you know. You're…" I concentrated for a moment. "…You're going to save someone. Who would that be?"

"Like I would tell you."

"Really? This wouldn't have anything to do with Urameshi's next mission, would it? I heard he was going to have to rescue some ice youkai girl…a koorime, I believe was the correct term?" I saw him stop in his tracks.

"How much do you know?"

"Enough. I'm not stupid, as you know. From the day I met you, I thought there was something strange about your energy. It was like that of a fire youkai and an ice youkai. Now I know why." Of course, I didn't, and I was jumping to conclusions in typical fashion. I was getting jealous, and fast. "She's your life partner, isn't she?" Hiei-sama laughed for the first time since I had known him.

"For a minute there, you actually got me nervous."

"What?" I had no idea. "Well, whatever. I'm coming with you."

"Why would you want to do that?" He turned and looked at me with his usual emotionless eyes. I thought fast, hoping he wouldn't read my mind.

"B-because I'm the one less likely to lose control. If you kill a human, you'll end up in more trouble than we almost got in before." He turned away again.

"Hn. Just don't get in my way."

"Yes, Hiei-sama." I walked alongside him and we were silent for a moment.

"And just so you know…her name is Yukina, and I don't care for her _that_ way." Surprised, I almost stopped walking.

"…Okay, Hiei-sama." Inwardly, I smirked.

end of chapter eleven


	12. I Wasn’t Really Involved In This

Chapter 12: I Wasn't Really Involved In This Case, Either…

So, we got to the house/stronghold of this human by the name of Tarukane. I could see that Hiei-sama was following something and he was hellbent on destruction, so I decided to just go along and try to spare any humans that might become his victims. The less-than-happy fire youkai didn't say a word as we walked inside. Suddenly, he glanced at me and all but vanished.

"Damn teleporter…!" I followed him to the best of my ability, staying about ten steps behind him. I blinked and tried to figure out where we were and what had happened. We had ended up in a sort of skybox, for lack of a better word, overlooking an arena where three figures…I couldn't make out who…were fighting. Hiei-sama had apparently knocked out all the guards and slowly advanced on another human. I looked at the blue haired koorime off to the side.

"Hi, I'm Naoko…You're Yukina, aren't you?"

"Y-yes…" she said as Hiei-sama punched out whoever the human was. Yukina looked at him. "Thanks for saving me…who are you?"

"Oh, just…a friend of theirs." he said softly, indicating Yusuke and Kuwabara standing together in the arena.

"I should go help them with my healing powers." Yukina said, running off. I smiled at Hiei-sama as he watched her.

"You didn't tell her…who you really are." His blazing eyes shot a death glare at me.

"How do you know!"

"I'm not stupid, you know. I _can_ read your mind." I felt a sense of achievement in knowing his secret, and I bet it showed in my expression.

"You tell _anyone_ and you die."

"I understand, Hiei-sama." With that, we had saved Yukina, and I thought it was over.

Oh, how wrong I was. How very, very wrong I was.

end of chapter twelve


	13. The Ankoku Bujutsukai

Chapter 13: The Ankoku Bujutsukai

Here we are, lucky chapter thirteen. How fitting that this is what it describes. So, the Toguro brothers, who we had assumed mere pawns of Tarukane in the 'rescue Yukina' case, had seemingly come back from the dead to inform the Spirit Detectives of a tournament in two months. Yusuke, Kurama, Kuwabara, Hiei-sama, and myself were supposed to fight in a team tournament on some remote island somewhere. It was set up so five-person teams would fight each other. I assumed I was the fifth, and that made me a little nervous…but my inner kitsune was elated. She couldn't _wait_ to kill some lower-class youkais. But, when the day came and we were leaving on the boat, Yusuke showed up with another person wearing a mask, telling us that he was our fifth.

"Well, no reason for me to be here." I said with a laugh, starting to walk away. Then, Kurama's hand shot out and snatched my shoulder-length hair, holding me back.

"As a matter of fact, there is."

"Oh, yeah? What's that?" I heard Hiei-sama's voice behind me.

"Simple: if one of us dies, we'll need whoever we can get for an alternate…even if that alternate lost to a Spirit Detective, _little fox_."

"Oh? You mean like you?" His eye twitched and I snickered. I mean, let's face it, _that_ was just plain funny. So, we were on the ship together and I was really wishing I were back on the fast-disappearing shores. The, a voice spoke over a loudspeaker; announcing only one team on that ship would participate in the tournament, to be decided in a battle royale of sorts. A circular ring rose up in the center as the masked fighter beside me jumped in with thirty or so other demons. There was a tense silence, and I thought the little guy was as good as dead. In a second, all the other youkais lunged at him. Before they even came close, there was a blinding light and they were all blown to pieces by the Spirit Shotgun. I was stunned into silence, along with the rest of Team Urameshi. I looked at them for an explanation, but even my brother was at a loss for words.

"Well," I said to myself, "that won't sit well with the rest of these demons. I have a feeling this is about to become a massacre."

end of chapter thirteen


	14. Team Rokuyokai

Chapter 14: Team Rokuyokai

Well, I was right. Between the five of us (Urameshi was too busy sleeping) we slaughtered the whole ship of demons. Cheerful, ne? Well, all too soon, the day of the tournament's first match came. We were up against a group of morons by the collective name of Team Rokuyokai. Real creative, guys. Anyway, the first match was Kura-sama vs. some lower class demon whose name I can't seem to care enough to remember. Well, it was a clear mismatch. Kurama was far stronger than the demon and we all knew it. He avoided all of his opponent's assaults with a kamaitachi, and the other demon began talking in a soft, almost threatening voice. I couldn't hear much of what he was saying, but I did make out the words '…kill a vital member of your family.' Or…something like that. Immediately my heart skipped a beat. This lowlife stain on the Makai pavement dared use me to hurt Kurama? Instantly, thoughts of bloodlust darted through my mind. Then, I heard the name: 'Minamino Shiori.'

Her again! Inari damn it, Kurama, don't you see that your human heart renders you vulnerable like this! Why torment yourself! Kurama did nothing. He didn't fight back as the youkai attacked him again and again…it was like he'd shut down. Then, I thought, Is this what love truly is? Unconditional love? There was a twisting pain in my heart as the rift between myself and Youko grew deeper once I thought these words. I was stunned into silence, lost in my own thoughts, before I woke up and realized my brother, the one I had devoted my life to for so long, was going to die.

"KURA-SAMA!" I screamed before I could stop myself. The masked fighter, Kuwabara, and even Hiei-sama looked at me in surprise.

"There must be something we can do." A horrible, empty, helpless feeling burned through my whole body.

"There isn't. This is Kurama's fight, he has to resolve his problems alone." Hiei-sama said coldly. My hand twitched and finally all the rage I had felt towards him rushed to the surface. Before I realized I had moved, there was a resounding crack and a painful looking red mark on the side of his face. My right hand was curled in a tight fist that hurt with the most gratifying pain in the world.

"You expect me to stand by and do nothing, is that it! You want me to watch my brother die without trying my hardest to save him!" Hiei-sama stared at me with genuine surprise in his eyes, as did the others.

"What…" I glared at him as best I could, and his voice failed him. Suddenly, there was an explosion of color from the ring. Kurama had used one of his special plants on the other demon, causing hundreds of flowers to explode from within and kill him.

Needless to say, I felt a little stupid.

end of chapter fourteen


	15. Jaou Ensatsu Kokuryuuha!

Chapter 15: Jaou Ensatsu Kokuryuu-_What!_

I walked over to my elder brother quickly. "You okay, onii-sama!"

"Yes, Naoko, I'm fine. Don't worry about me." Then, Team Rokuyokai's supposed 'team leader' stepped into the ring, a lower C-class fire youkai whose name I also can't recall. (It's been a long week, go easy on my memory.)

"Why is their team leader fighting now?" Kurama asked. "His match should be last, shouldn't it?" I glanced over at Urameshi, who was still asleep.

"It doesn't matter." came the voice of the thoroughly irritated fire youkai beside me. "I'll take this fight." The crimson-eyed demon vanished and reappeared in the ring.

"I hate it when he does that." I said to myself. After a few short sentences, there was an explosion of flames from Hiei-sama's opponent. The whole arena became as warm as a long summer in the desert.

"What's going on, Kura-" Before I could take a breath to add the honorific to my brother's name, there was a full on eruption of fire. Hiei-sama started moving so fast, I completely lost track of him.

"Kurama…?"

"I can't really tell, either." I blinked past the smoke and heat, and a second or two later, Hiei-sama was standing in the same place he was before. He smirked arrogantly, and his adversary suddenly flew forward with a devastating punch. The significantly smaller youkai was launched into the air, totally on fire. I didn't look away or scream, or any of the things I would do now in the same situation. I merely blinked and said,

"Looks like I'll be fighting after all..." _/right, Youko/ _

_/It's about damn time. / _my alter side said with no small amount of malice. Kurama sighed sadly and looked away from the ring. The other team's leader was announced as the winner, but, as you're about to see, they were dead wrong (no pun intended.) Just as the Rokuyokai leader turned to leave, there was a sudden flash as a column of fire erupted skywards.

"Yes…so talented, I'm reluctant to make the kill…" The fire faded slightly to reveal none other than Jaganshi Hiei-sama…without his headband. For the first time, I realized just what he had been hiding with that cute little fashion statement. He had a third eye on his forehead, which was currently glowing an eerie blue.

"K-Kurama, wh…How…" For one of the first times in my life, I was at a loss for words. I had heard stories of youkais with the gifted jagan eye, but it was supposed to be really, really rare…and they were all supposedly powerful. _/I guess we'll see just how truthful the stories are. / _

_/I don't doubt a word of them. / _

_/You didn't doubt a word Kuronue the 'great storyteller' ever said. / _Youko didn't answer, thankfully. Anyway, back in the ring, something neither Youko or myself had ever seen made an appearance: black fire. It burned a wide circle around the two fighters and formed a perfect sphere in Hiei-sama's right hand. He laughed darkly in a voice that sent shivers up my spine. After a few more seconds of morbid intimidation, Hiei-sama took a fighting stance and threw his right hand forward, yelling the three words that would change the way I looked at him forever…

"JAOU ENSATSU…_KOKURYUUHA_!" It's hard to accurately describe the way it happened using just words, but I'll do my best. There was a flash of black light, and a colossal dragon of black flames exploded from his right hand, flying right into the other fire youkai, who didn't try to block it- what could he have done to hold off that undefeatable attack? Before anyone knew what was happening, Hiei-sama's opponent was a few ashes on the concrete wall. He walked over to the rest us, where Kuwabaka was babbling about dragons and something like that.

"Don't worry, baka." Hiei-sama said calmly. With the slightest trace of a devilish smirk, he continued, "We've entered into an alliance, and I'm not the type to break it. Of course, after the tournament, I can't guarantee a thing." As he walked past me, for a split second I thought I saw a flicker of severe pain in his bloodred eyes. I glanced at the others but they hadn't seen a thing, not even Kurama.

_/Youko…/_

_/I think your short little acquaintance is hiding something…and not just from Yukina. /_

end of chapter fifteen


	16. Black Fire, Broken Dreams

Chapter 16: Black Fire, Broken Dreams

The second the match ended, (what? Of course we won!) I left as fast as I could, escaping into the forest. I was looking for demons that I could 'persuade' to tell me about the attack Hiei-sama had used. I had talked to a few that had heard of the black flames of Makai, but none of them knew of any who could wield it. Not surprising, I realized. If no one else had done it, Hiei-sama probably figured he'd be the first. I continued searching, until, around sunset, I ran into a youkai by the name of Suzuka. He seemed smarter than the rest, so after I threatened him considerably, he relinquished valuable information.

"I did hear of a few stories…legends, really…that spoke of one youkai that attempted to master the attacks called the _jaou ensatsu ken_." He paused, his crystal blue eyes scanning my emotionless features. As I mentioned in chapter two, it didn't affect me.

"Well? Are you going to tell me or do I have to break your precious face?"

"Oh, I'm _real_ scared. Anyway, I read something this supposed master wrote before his death when the black dragon turned on him." Now _that_ surprised me, and apparently it showed, because Suzuka laughed to himself. "I see I have your attention. I admit, I haven't laughed like that in a while."

"Get to the point."

"Determination…I like that. You seem deserving, so…take this." He handed me what looked like a ninja scroll. "This is the exact writing of that youkai. Ordinarily, I wouldn't aid a potential enemy, but there's no way you could learn the _jaou ensatsu ken _before your team fights mine." As you can guess, I didn't like him. "What team are you on, anyway?"

"Mind your own business." I turned and walked off. As soon as I knew I was out of his sight, I started running.

The next day…

"I told you we were going to be late!" I yelled to Kurama and Hiei-sama, who were running beside me.

"What the hell do you know, little fox!"

"I think she may have a point this time, Hiei."

"Stay out of it!" As we ran to our match with Team Ichigaki (I didn't know the name at the time,) I considered the progress I had made last night. According to Suzuka's scroll, there were three attacks using the black flames: the Jaou Ensatsu Rengoku-Sho, the Jaou Ensatsu Ken, and, of course, the Kokuryuuha. I had worked all night and finally taught myself the Rengoku-Sho, suffering a few burns in the process. Luckily, Hiei-sama and Kura-chan didn't notice the black leather motorcycle gloves I was wearing to hide them. Suddenly, two lizardlike demons appeared in front of us, declaring that we would not get to our team's match.

"Wanna bet, lizard boy?" I snapped. With the scroll in my pocket and the dark flames burning in my heart, I felt unbeatable. Kurama's hand shot out in front of me.

"Stay out of this, Naoko." I remained silent. Out of nowhere, a giant robot emerged from the forest beside the two youkais.

"…And the chase is on." I whispered to myself. Instantly, the three of us flew in different directions. I created my whip, as did my brother.

"Rose Whiplash!" Every blow glanced off the robot's hard shell, taking me by surprise. We tried to fight the robot, (I believe the lizard youkais called it 'Gatatasubal' or something) but nothing we did worked. Suddenly, I noticed something about Hiei-sama. He was right-handed, so why was he holding his katana with his left? Something was wrong with his other hand, I could see it in his chakra. Then, one of the robot's extending arms shot out at him. My cursed reflexes kicked in like they had sixteen years before and I pushed him out of the way. I felt cold, unforgiving metal slam into me and before I knew it, I was pinned against a tree.

"Wh…Foxgirl!" He sounded concerned…surprising. The robot pressed harder and my breath caught in my throat. My chakra necklace glowed, and the tree's branches wrapped around the robot's arm, trying vainly to force it to relent. _/No…Inari, I can't die like this! Not now…I haven't learned the jaou ensatsu ken yet…/_ Gatatasubal pushed harder and I couldn't help but scream in pain. "K-Kura…Kurama-!" Just then, there was a flash of scarlet and the robot's other arm collided with the first. The deathtrap relented, and I landed on the ground, trying to catch my breath. It took a moment for me to realize I was alive. _/Everything will be fine now/_ I thought, _/calm down, you're okay now… /_ There was a crash, which I assumed was the destruction of the robot. (I had my eyes closed at the time) Then, Ifelt someone's hand on my shoulder

"…I'm okay, Kurama, I'll-" My next words died in my throat as I looked over and realized my brother was the one fighting the lizard demons. The fire youkai beside me looked at me with crimson eyes that almost seemed…concerned? Impossible.

"Are you alright, foxgirl?"

"I-I…Y-yeah, I'm fine…" Hiei-sama smirked as Kurama effortlessly killed the demons.

"I _could_ have handled that robot myself, but…thanks, little fox." I couldn't help but smile. He looked kind of embarrassed, accepting help from someone like me.

"Everything alright, imoutochan?" I smiled again and stood up.

"Don't worry about me, Kurama. We have to get to the rest of our team. After all…" I smirked in a way only a kitsune could, "those idiot humans need youkais like us."

end of chapter sixteen


	17. The Stupidest Move I Ever Made

Chapter 17: The Stupidest Move I Ever Made

Well, we made it to the ring and redefined 'fashionably late.' Yusuke informed us that it had been a three on three match, which we had apparently won. Now, Dr. Ichigaki was going postal, changing into his full youkai form. He was even taller than the robot, and it was up to the rest of us to finish it. I started to follow Hiei-sama and my brother, but Kura-sama stopped me.

"Stay here, Naoko. You're injured from that last fight."

"No, Kurama. I'm fighting and you can't stop me."

"…Very well." The three of us fought together and more or less had the upper hand against Ichigaki, until he backhanded Kurama. While Kura-chan wasn't hurt badly, I felt a blazing inferno rising within me. My black leather gloves began smoldering at the edges and I jumped into the air.

"No one, and I mean no one, hurts my brother! Jaou Ensatsu…_RENGOKU-SHO!_" The motorcycle gloves I had liked so much burned away as my hands caught fire. I was happy to notice the pain had diminished. _/That must mean I'm adjusting to it/_ I realized. I flew at Dr. Ichigaki, and with a Rose Whiplash from my brother for good measure, he was blasted into oblivion. I landed like a cat as the fire faded away.

"Hn. That was great, you guys. We're…" The word 'unstoppable' never left my throat. I looked behind me and saw Kurama's look of hesitation. He looked at me like I wasn't his sister anymore. That was nothing compared to how Hiei-sama looked at me. He was completely and totally shocked…and maybe a little…afraid? _/No way…there's no way he's afraid of me. He's not afraid of anything…right, Youko/_

_/You are the single most foolish girl in all the Makai./_ was her answer. I turned around and raced off just as we were announced the winners.

end of chapter seventeen


	18. ‘Irrational Is An Understatement’

Chapter 18: 'Irrational Is An Understatement'

_/You just had to show off, didn't you, Naoko? Now everyone resents you for it./_

_/Youko…stop…just stop. / _I felt ready to cry as I sat on the rock near the hotel. My Youko appeared before me, a transparent apparition that glared at me threateningly.

_/You do and I'll kill you. Listen carefully. If you ever cry in front of anyone, you will be showing weakness that I never would. You show anyone weakness and they will exploit it. Just look at Kurama…rather, 'Shuichi.' He almost died for the sake of that idiotic 'Minamino' woman. You won't be like that. /_ Her transparent form sat on another rock in front of me and placed its cold hands on my shoulders. _/Why did you wish to learn the techniques, anyway//_

"Because…" I whispered softly, "if I did…I thought maybe…Hiei-sama would accept me for more than just a little fox…" WHACK. Youko took control of my left hand and slapped me, ice-cold nails slashing across my face.

_/Don't you dare start that, Makai whore. Can you imagine what Kuronue would think, you traitor//_

"Youko…Kuronue's dead, and neither of us can change that, no matter how strong we ever get."

_/SHUT UP//_ Again she slapped me with my own left hand and I made a mental note to cut my nails to a length less reminiscent of talons. Crystalline tears came to my eyes and I bit my lower lip so hard I drew blood. Youko looked at something over my shoulder and vanished.

"…Foxgirl?" My shoulders stiffened.

"Go away. I'm sorry I used your attack, Hiei-sama, I swear I won't do it again. Just…please, go away." I brushed against the bleeding scratch on my face with one hand as he sat down beside me.

"How did you learn that?" Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out Suzuka's scroll.

"This told me everything I needed to know. I got it last night, so I only know one move."

"…Last night!" Hiei-sama was shocked for some reason, so I took my hands out of the pockets of my jacket.

"Yeah…and this is what I've got to show for it. That and a serious problem with rationality. Real powerful, huh?" I felt vaguely sick.

"Irrational is a bit of an understatement. Regardless…you can't be serious. There's absolutely no way you could have even mastered one technique in a single night, little fox."

"Well, I did!" I snapped. "I said I was sorry, okay! I'll forget I ever knew it, alright!" I stood up, looking out at the ocean. After a moment or two of silence, his hand touched my shoulder and I felt my heart race.

"No, you don't understand. That's…amazing." I turned around, surprised.

"…Really?" Hiei-sama looked a little embarrassed again. He looked away and replied,

"Y-yeah, I guess so." A small smile came to my face, and something told me I would be okay, no matter what Youko did to me.

end of chapter eighteen


	19. I Shouldn't Exist

Chapter 19: I Shouldn't Exist

I was back in my room in our team's hotel suite that night, looking through my suitcase. Up until then, my trademark outfit had been a black camisole, jeans, and high top sneakers, but Youko had 'spoken' to me again and left a few bruises on my right arm. So, I needed a long-sleeved shirt to hide it from my brother. I found a gray sweatshirt with a wide collar. Perfect. I put it on and it slid off my left shoulder. Checking my reflection in the mirror, I realized that I liked this new image. That was a good thing, because I would be wearing it for a while. I sat down at a moonlit window and started thinking. _/Why am I here? Why are Youko and I different people/_

"I shouldn't exist." I whispered to myself. "My true nature is that of my Youko, and I should not be here in her place."

_/Damn right, my dear alter. Why don't you just let me take control? I'll take my rightful place, as will you. /_ She spoke in a voice that was as gentle as she had ever spoken…or was it? _/Come on. Just lower your mental defenses and I'll replace you. You'll never have to worry about anything. / _I admit, I really did consider it for a few minutes. I thought about all the pain I had felt ever since I entered the Ningenkai. Then I realized the good memories I would be giving up. The time I spent with Kura-chan, rescuing Yukina, becoming friends with Yusuke…and then I thought about Hiei-sama and how I felt when he looked at me, even if it was just to call me 'little fox'. Out of nowhere, another thought came to mind…but this thought was Youko's. _/When she lets me take over, I'll kill her little crush and Kurama. If he's sunk low enough to join the humans, he deserves to die. /_

"I won't let you, Youko!" I yelled, rocketing out of my chair.

_/You'll change your mind in time…when you see that Jaganshi Hiei doesn't care about anyone. /_At last, blessed silence.

"That's not true." I said to myself. "What about Yukina…what about the way he looked at me today…? No, it can't be true. Please, Inari, let her be lying…"

end of chapter nineteen


	20. Team Mashotsukai

Chapter 20: Team Mashotsukai

It was the next morning, and my self-esteem was not at its best during our next fight. Hiei-sama and the masked fighter had been trapped behind some magic barrier by a sorceress named Ruka. Kurama had been forced into three fights in a row, one of which took place while he was unconscious. We were down by one and I was incredibly angry. Touya Kori, the ice youkai that had fought against Kurama the second time, snickered. That was what pushed on my last nerve. I took two steps forward when I heard a telepathic message.

_/ Little fox, you're not honestly thinking about…/_ I glared over at him and he fell silent.

_/ I will fight Touya and I will defeat him. /_ I stepped into the ring and snapped at the ice master:

"Touya! Unless you fear being defeated by a woman, get in this ring right now!" His emotionless, ice blue eyes surveyed me for a moment before complying.

"Who in the name of a frozen hell are you?" Before I could stop myself, I started talking.

"I understand what you said about the light, Touya. Everyone has something like it that they look for in their lives. I even have something like that." His smirk vanished.

"You are a simple child. You could never understand." My eye twitched.

"I'm afraid I must contradict you. I may be a bit young by demon standards, but I most certainly understand you. I myself am searching for my own version of your 'light.' However, _I_ search for the darkness. I know in my heart that when I find this darkness, I will be able to truly smile once more. But even if I were to find that darkness, it would be a hollow victory without my brother." I prayed to Inari that a) Hiei-sama couldn't hear me and b) if he could, I had been cryptic enough. "This is why I can not forgive what you have done so readily. Prepare yourself, Touya Kori, for you are about to receive the full rage of kitsune bandit Youko Naoko!"

"Tch. You think your eloquent little speech scares me?"

"Perhaps. Why don't you take the first attack?" He glared at me with his blue eyes before he used the same technique he had before, making the ring a frozen hell. I smirked as emerald light collected around his right hand, splitting into a bunch of little white lights.

"Shards of Winter!" Enraged, I smirked again and turned to the side, allowing the attack to hit me in the shoulder. Crimson blood dripped from my arm at a shocking rate, and the pain was burning through my body. My shoulders were shaking and I sensed his apprehension. Kitsune intimidation tactic…initiated. I suddenly started laughing, even sending a chill down my own spine.

"I _sincerely_ hope that wasn't your best." The ice master stared at me for a moment with his chilling eyes before forming his ice sword around his right hand. He darted at me, but I moved and vaulted off his shoulders, landing behind him.

"Rose Whiplash!" I cried, forming Kurama's thorned whip and slashing at my target hundreds of times in one motion. Touya spun around, ignoring his injuries and started preparing his first attack again.

"Shards of Winter!"

"I don't think so." I answered coldly. "Rose Whiplash!" I destroyed every single icicle…or so I thought. I saw a flash and the ice knives I missed stabbed me just inches from my heart. With a piercing scream, I started to falter, but caught myself. I saw blood staining the ground more with every heartbeat.

"Had you missed any more, you would've died. Beginners' luck." Despite the pain, I snickered again.

"No one's perfect, not even me. Unlike most humans and demons I know, I've never claimed to be." Touya laughed coldly.

"I like you, and you've given me a good fight. Out of respect, I'll kill you quickly. Don't move, and it might just be painless." I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of my answer, so Touya used Shards of Winter again. I jumped into the air, and as I slowly descended, I gave him a nice crescent kick, sending him halfway across the ring."…So, you reject my offer of a quick death? Very well." he said, smirking.

Later…

"…Touya?" I asked, exhausted.

"What…?" he asked, sounding equally tired.  
"Answer me honestly. Do you have any Spirit Energy left?"

"…No. How about you?"  
"Just a little. I suggest you surrender."

"And why is that?" Small white lights collected in my hand, and a cold breeze blew. "…You couldn't have…"

"I'm a fast learner, Touya."

"But…but how…!"

"I have a special power to copy the techniques of any demon I touch, if I want." It was true, and that power had earned me the name of 'Makai Parasite' years before. I was the ultimate bandit…I could steal abilities as well as items.

"…I will never surrender. Kill me now, if you want to win." Did I really want to do that? I hesitated before I used the attack…and sent each and every icicle into the ground right beside the ice shinobi. He looked up at me, shock in his icy cold eyes.

"I won't kill you."

"…I don't understand…I-I tried to kill your brother."

"Yes, but nothing is completely unforgivable. I respect you, Touya, and I hope you find what you're looking for." Youko was absolutely livid.

_/You WHAT! Kill him, Naoko, kill him now//_

_/Shut up. /_ I knew I would pay for it later, but that didn't matter. I left the ring, feeling more victorious than I ever had.

end of chapter twenty


	21. Reisho

Chapter 21: Reisho

Sadly, that victory did not last long. That very afternoon, I was outside, studying from Suzuka's scroll. I felt like I was close to mastering the Jaou Ensatsu Ken when something hit me in the head, knocking me out. I woke up later, finding myself in an unfamiliar hotel room. Looking around, I saw no one, and I decided to leave before the room's occupants returned. I went for the door, but suddenly, I was cornered by this pale, creepy looking youkai. He looked familiar…but I couldn't place it.

"Good afternoon."

"Wh-who the hell are you!"

"I'm Reisho, the leader of Team Mashotsukai." I didn't like the way he was looking at me. "You're Naoko, aren't you?"

"Y-yeah…"

"So sad…the only real demon on a team of morons."

"Wh-what!"

"All your teammates are useless. You're the most powerful…" He played with a few strands of my hair as I backed against the wall, "…and the most beautiful." That was it. I read his mind to see what he had planned for me…and it was not good. Instinctively, I bolted for the door, but Reisho tripped me and my head slammed into the wall. What happened next I later learned from Jin and Touya. The door opened and a certain ice shinobi found his team captain leaning over an unconscious youkai (yes, that would be me) Reisho glanced up and snickered.

"Oh, Touya." he said mockingly. "What are you doing here?"

"Leave her alone, Reisho."

"And are you going to make me?" Then, the scarlet haired master of wind appeared beside Touya, rage blazing in his cobalt eyes.

"If Touya doesn' stop ya, I will." Reisho glared at the two of them before walking past them and out the door. Touya closed the door as Jin looked at Reisho's near-victim.

" 'Ey, Touya, this is your lil' friend from th' match today."

"Huh? Oh, it's the little kitsune?" I heard them talking and I opened my eyes, finding myself understandably nervous. Standing up, I pressed my back to the wall and stared at them.

"Wh-what…Please, don't hurt me, I'm sorry I defeated you, Touya!" I thought I was as good as dead, so I went to my very last panicking resort: plead for my life. Jin smiled warmly and I calmed down a little.

"Don' worry…Naoko, right?"

"Y-yeah, my name's Naoko."

"Well, don' worry. We're not gonna hurt ya."

"Y-you're not?" Touya remained silent, watching me like a hawk.

"A'course not. I could never hurt anyone outside a fight, 'specially not a girl." His long ears twitched, eerily reminiscent of Kuronue. "Here, sit down, that's a nasty lil' scrape y' got on your head." Complying, I took a chair, eyes still locked with Touya's.

A few minutes later…

I enjoyed listening to Jin's fast-talking accent as he told me what had happened while tying a white bandage around the bleeding cut on my head. With him, it seemed like the world was a big joke and only he knew the punchline, if you know what I mean.

"There ya go…Hey, Touya, she could prob'ly use a lil' ice, if y' get my drift." Sighing, the youkai brushed a few green strands of his dual-colored hair out of his face. Walking over, he lazily rested his hand against the side of my head. The feeling was a sudden chill comparable to a gentle shower of freezing rain, until he moved away.

"…Thanks, Touya. Listen…I'm sorry about today."

"Whatever." I stood up and looked at both of them.

"I really appreciate what you've done for me, and if you ever need it, I'll be more than happy to return the favor." Jin smiled again, and Touya looked surprised. "Until then, I should leave before my elder brother gets worried."

" 'Kay, foxgirl." I blushed. Why? Well, let's see. Who else called me foxgirl?

"Y-You guys can call me Naoko."

" 'Kay, Naoko-chan." Touya was silent, so I turned and walked out the door. As Jin told me later, he looked at his friend and smirked.

"Looks like you've got a lil' crush, Touya-kun."

"…Hn. Shut up, Jin."

end of chapter twenty-one


	22. Call Me Naoko, Okay?

Chapter 22: 'Call Me Naoko, Okay?'

Once I got back to the room, I collapsed on the couch and closed my eyes, wanting to fall asleep and forget about Reisho. I woke up a few minutes later when I sensed someone's chakra. (I was a light sleeper, courtesy of Youko's bandit profession) I didn't open my eyes, just wishing to be left alone. The door opened and closed and there was a tense silence, in which I realized who it was.

_/Oh, Inari, not you. The last thing I need now is your insults…/_ Still reluctant to open my eyes, I heard Hiei-sama's cold voice.

"Foxgirl…foxgirl? Come on, little fox, wake up." _/don't answer…he'll just go away…/_ Thankfully, I was wrong. He sat down next to me and I felt a gentle hand brush a few strands of light green hair out of my face. "…Naoko?" My hand twitched in a hybrid of excitement and surprise. I knew my deception had run its course, so I opened my eyes and pulled myself up halfway.

"Oh, hi, Hiei-sama." He was looking at me strangely.

"What happened to you?"

"Huh? What do you mean?" Then it hit me: I still had the bandages around my head. I tried frantically to figure out a cover-up. "Oh, that. That's, uh…from my fight with Touya." With an analytical stare, he watched me carefully. However, if I had kept eye contact with the emotionless Touya, I could do it with Hiei-sama.

"Little fox, I've been looking for you for the past forty-five minutes. Where have you been?"

"What do you care?" He shot me a death glare and then got up, looking out the window.

"Look, foxgirl, you…you're…the closest thing I have to a friend." I looked up, shocked, as he continued. "I just…don't want to see you hurt." I stood up and, hesitating, placed my hand on his shoulder.

"No one's going to hurt me, Hiei-sama." Suddenly he turned around and took my hand in his tightly, causing a pale pink blush to work its way across my face.

"I know, little fox." Softly, I answered,

"…Call me Naoko, okay?"

"Alright…Naoko."

end of chapter twenty-two


	23. The Ancient Spellbook

Chapter 23: The Ancient Spellbook

We didn't have a match the next day, but we would soon be facing Team Uraotogi or something. All of us in Team Urameshi (minus the masked fighter) were sitting around talking when someone jumped on me from behind, arms around my neck. Shocked, the first thing I saw was a flash of dark hair and bat wings.

_/Kuronue//_ cried my desperate Youko. I knew better. This chakra was female, but that could only mean…

"SILROWEN!" I yelled in shock, turning around. My daughter was standing in front of me, hovering a few inches off the ground with her powerful looking leathery wings.

"Silrowen? Who the hell is that?" I glanced over my shoulder to see Hiei-sama replacing his sword in its sheath. I shot Sil-chan and Kurama a meaningful glance, which they both understood.

"This is…an old friend of mine, her name's Silrowen. I haven't seen her in almost seventeen years." I looked back at her. "Where have you been, Silrowen?"

"Well, not long after the last time we spoke, I met up with Touya and Jin. I've been hanging out with Team Mashotsukai ever since."

"Oh, yeah," Yusuke said, "I think I saw you in the stands yesterday."

"Uh-huh. I waved, but you just glared at me."

"Anyone ever told you you're incredibly naïve?" Hiei-sama asked.

_/Just like her mother, Naoko-chan. /_

_/Shut up, Kurama./_ Silrowen smiled.

"Actually, I hear that just about every day. Anyone ever told you you're short?"

"…Silrowen, you're the same as ever…"

Anyway, I got a chance to talk with my daughter alone that night. I caught her in the forest, watching the moon. From a distance, I realized just how much she looked like her father. My pointy-eared daughter looked over her shoulder.

"Why didn't you tell them?" I raised and lowered one shoulder.

"I thought it might be a little off-putting."  
"You never used to care what others thought…especially not humans. This is about that fire youkai, isn't it? I bet you like him, don't you?" Sighing, I sat down beside her.

"Is it that obvious?"

"Sort of. What is obvious is that he doesn't know it, if that's what you're worried about."

We were silent for a moment before she spoke again. "Oh, that reminds me. I have something for you." From a small bag at her side, she withdrew an antique looking forest green book. It was my book of spells, written in an ancient, dead language.

"My spellbook…I was afraid I had lost it, how did you…?" She smirked and adjusted her torn wide brimmed hat just like her father had done so long ago.

"Just as you taught me to say if I ever got caught stealing something: 'I found it.'" A huge smile spread across my face and I hugged my indigo-eyed daughter.

"You've grown up well. How old are you now…thirty-four?"

"Just about, yeah. Take your age and subtract six hundred? Sounds right."

"Thanks, Sil-chan. With my old spells, I can become just as strong as I used to be." With a smirk, she replied,

"Well, duh. Why else would I hold on to it for seventeen years?"

"Watch that sarcasm, koumori onna."

end of chapter twenty-three


	24. The Most Surprising Team Captain Ever

Chapter 24: The Most Surprising Team Captain Ever

As I had expected, the masked fighter had been revealed to be Genkai-shihan in disguise. I couldn't help but be impressed. After all, a human had used an illusion to deceive a kitsune. And not just me, but Kurama, too! What are the odds! Anyway…To put it lightly, this was a rough match. The other team was made up of a youkai who died in three seconds by Hiei-sama's katana, some dork fisherman named Uraurashima, an absolutely insane fighter named Kuromomotaro (yes, I had noticed the double-syllable pattern) their team captain, Onji, and a teen heartthrob named Shishiwakamaru. To be honest, I did understand what the fangirls saw in him. We were missing Yusuke, so we were having a little trouble. So, it was just the three of us youkais and Kuwabaka. So, Hiei-sama had just fought Kuromomotaro and narrowly escaped with his life, revealing the Jaou Ensatsu Ken and insulting Kuwabaka in the process (which I didn't mind at all.) Oh, and the other guys had a pair of dice to determine who would fight. Shishi dropped them on the ground to reveal two names: Uraurashima and Kurama.

Easy, huh? In this tournament? No chance. All of us had underestimated whatshisname and Kurama was suffering for it. Uraura-whatever had created a force field around the ring and was about to open some magic box of doom, from what I could tell. It was apparently supposed to make anyone but the user younger. He opened it and there was a thick, pale blue smoke.

"Kurama…" After a few moments, I thought I saw a small flash of light among the smoke. Suddenly, a violent shiver went up my spine and I grabbed my own shoulders.

"Hey, you okay?" Kuwabaka asked.

"I…I'm…" My throat wasn't working right, and my breath was fast and shallow.

"…Naoko, are you alright!" I hadn't felt like this in a long time, and only my Youko knew for sure what was happening.

"K-Kurama…" I managed to say. My sixth sense couldn't handle the chakra level I was sensing, and if I didn't concentrate, I would probably collapse right there.

"Hey, shrimp, what's going on with her!"

"Shut up, idiot." Hiei-sama snapped, touching my shoulder. _/Naoko/_ he said, speaking telepathically, _/what's going on/ _

"I-It's Kurama…" I couldn't force myself to say it, but I knew it for sure.

Youko Kurama had risen again.

A few minutes later…

Concentrating as hard as I could to block the insane amounts of chakra, I started breathing normally again as the smoke slowly cleared to reveal Uraurashima dead and…oh, Inari, was it truly real? My brother, my _true_ brother, was standing in the ring. My breath caught in my throat again, this time out of anxiety and apprehension.

"Wait a second, who or what the hell is that!" I think my eyes flashed crimson as I lost the use of my voice and rounded on Kuwabaka, snarling:

"That is my brother, you worthless human, and you should take greater care to display the proper respect if you wish to awaken tomorrow with the benefit of your head!" I realized what I…rather, what my Youko side…had just said, and I turned away, blushing in embarrassment. "S-sorry…" I said as Minamino Shuichi regained dominance and returned to our side of the ring. Finally, the team captain stepped up and the four of us started arguing over who would fight him…just like we did with Shishi. (I love my friends, but sometimes I just wanna hit them. Kurama wanted the secret of the item that was the catalyst for Youko's appearance, Kuwabaka was being himself, and Hiei-sama wanted to fight for the sake of fighting.)

"I'm going to fight him."

"No, you're not, Kurama, I-" Kuwabaka interrupted me as I figured he would.

"No fair, I'm gonna fight! I didn't even get a decent chance against that freaky little teen idol Sissy Walking Moron!"

"Silence, baka ningen. I'm going to fight next."

"No, you're not! You're hurt from your fight with Kuro-whatever!" I snapped. Hiei-sama glanced at me in surprise. "I think a little game of janken is in order."

"Simple…but clever. Typical Naoko." Kurama said.

"Janken? What the hell is that?" Hiei-sama asked. Kuwabaka mentioned something about a 'deprived childhood,' and his eye twitched. I waited as Kurama explained, and then Kuwabara defeated us.

"Wait just a second." Hiei-sama said quietly. "You made your move a fraction of a second after we did."

"What? How could you know, it went by way too fast!"  
"Believe me…I could see it." So, we had a rematch, and, sadly, he beat us anyway. It hardly mattered, the match lasted three seconds. Onji used an attack much like Shishi's dimension cape thingy, and Kuwabaka vanished. I admit, I couldn't keep a smile from crossing my face. Now, the three of us were arguing over who fought next.

"I'll take it." We looked over to see one of the last people we expected.

"Genkai-shihan?"

"Yeah, that a problem?" I suddenly felt very reassured. Hiei-sama wasn't going to get himself killed, and neither would Kurama. Genkai easily destroyed Shishiwakamaru, and revealed Onji for who he really was…Suzuka! Yes, the same Suzuka whose scroll was in a pocket on my belt. I found that he was actually the most narcissistic youkai ever. It was too bad, since he was actually pretty cute when I first met him.

end of chapter twenty-four


	25. A Broken Will and a Broken Heart

Chapter 25: A Broken Will and a Broken Heart

Kurama and I were standing in the crowd, watching Team Toguro's match in the new stadium. All we could do was watch as a pale, dark haired youkai by the name of Karasu effortlessly killed some other demon, and then Elder Toguro slaughtered three strong youkais at the same time.

"…Kurama, I don't feel so great all of a sudden…"

"I can't say I blame you. Come on, let's go."  
"Best idea I've heard all day." The two of us walked down the hall in an uncomfortable silence, when suddenly Karasu and another member of his team who was heavily armored (you guessed it, I don't remember his name…) appeared in front of us. Surprised, I stepped back. Karasu ignored me and spoke to Kurama, mentioning 'the four of us' that would fight his team.

"Four?" Kurama asked, and I sensed the hesitation in his voice.

"Yes, of course." Karasu's cold voice came forth from within the mask covering half his face. "…One of you dies today." The one with the armor drew our attention by putting a large dent in the concrete wall. The next thing I knew, Karasu was right behind Kurama, long, pale fingers running through his hair as he whispered something in a frighteningly threatening voice. I couldn't find my voice for a terrifying moment, but then…

"Get your damn hands off my brother!" I jumped forward in an attempt to punch the dark haired raven, but the next second, he was gone and my hand went through thin air. Karasu had jumped into the air, landing on the ground where he had started.

"And you must be…Naoko, right?" Kurama stepped in front of me protectively.

"You touch my sister and I'll kill you." The raven-like demon laughed coldly.

"Oh, don't worry. I have no interest in her…only you, Kurama." He finished in a soft, almost seductive voice. "So save your fight for me…okay?" The two of them walked off and I threw my arms around my brother.  
"Kurama…Kurama, you're shaking."

"Don't worry, Naoko, I'm okay." he replied, returning my embrace.

"…But you're not, Kurama…I know you're not…"

end of chapter twenty-five


	26. I’m Not Writing This One

Chapter 26: I'm Not Writing This One

Read the title, I'm not writing this chapter. This takes place after Kurama was threatened by Karasu and shortly after the surge of power that was Genkai being killed by Younger Toguro. Why am I not writing it? Because I think that someone else can describe it a little better than I can. Give me twenty minutes to show Hiei-sama how to use a keyboard, and you'll have your precious chapter twenty-six.

…_I don't understand why she's making me write this, but then again, she's never been that smart. _Hey, watch what you're typing! This is MY book, and I can edit you out completely if I want! _Hn. What do I care?_ If you don't do this, I'll tell Yukina your secret. _You wouldn't dare!_ Wouldn't I? Try me and find out. Alright, alright, _I'll type your damn chapter…but you owe me for this! _Right, whatever…

_Okay, let's see…I had just sensed Genkai's death, and I came back to the hotel room to find Naoko lying facedown with her face hidden in her folded arms. She was wearing a pair of headphones blasting some variety of American music she later referred to as…what was it, Naoko? _You mean the greatness known as Meteora? _Yeah, whatever. She looked like something was really wrong, so I walked over to find out what the hell her problem was. As soon as I touched her shoulder, her head jerked up so fast her headphones fell off, silenced, as she cried Kurama's name. Looking around nervously, she took a breath and rested her head back on her arms._

"_Sorry…" she said in a quiet tone, "I'm just a little afraid." I had never heard her say that, and I was a little surprised as I sat down beside her._

"_A-afraid of what?" She sat up and idly traced the fading burns on her right hand with one finger on her left._

"_Kurama and I ran into this demon on Team Toguro. His name's Karasu."_

"_And…" Naoko was hesitant to tell me anything, and it was a little frustrating. She wouldn't look at me, just kept her eyes trained on her hands._

"_And…I don't know what he said, but…he's a master at psychological torment, and…and Kurama's scared. He honestly thinks he's going to die fighting Karasu, and…" She trailed off, looking away, but it didn't take a Jaganshi to see her shoulders shaking. "…and he just might. From what I could sense in his chakra, Karasu's…a Quest-class youkai with the power to create bombs from thin air." Even though she wasn't looking at me, I saw the color draining from her face as she spoke, continuing in a whispered tone that I don't think I was meant to hear as she tightly held the crystal around her neck. "…Kuronue, we have to do something…we have to save Kurama…please, Kuronue, help me…" She looked like her heart was being shredded and then, impulse took over._

"_Naoko." She turned and finally looked at me, and I hugged her, pulling her into a sudden embrace._

"…_Hiei-sama…why are you…"_

"_I just…I don't even know…" I didn't. I had no idea why I felt like this…I had never done anything like this before. She was just my friend's younger sister and a half-rate fighter, so why in the name of Makai did I feel this way when I looked at her? She hesitated only for a moment before returning with her own gentle touch, arms shaking. _

"…_Thanks, Hiei-sama…"_

end of chapter twenty-six


	27. No Need For Formalities

Chapter 27: No Need For Formalities

Oh, was I ever in a great mood the next night. Kurama, Kuwabaka, and I were together in the forest when we were approached by Suzuka. They looked at him in surprise, not recognizing him without the dumb clown makeup. However, I got up from the rock I was sitting on and smiled.

"Hey, Suzuka."  
"That's 'utsukushii' Suzuka, fox."

"Right, sorry. I forgot."

"Wait a second, you two know each other!"

"Yeah, Kuwabara, we met a few matches ago."

"Well, what do you want?"

"I came here to help you."  
"Help us? Why?"

"Because, Kurama, I dislike you, but I hate Toguro." He went on for a moment or two before giving Kurama the 'fruit of past lives' and Kuwabaka the hilt of a sword…with no blade. "For Shishiwakamaru, it became the Banshee's Shriek. Doubtless, it will be different for you." A few minutes later, the two of them started to leave.

"You guys go ahead, I'll catch up."

"Are you sure?" Kurama didn't trust Suzuka, obviously.

"Yeah, don't worry." They left and I was alone with the blue-eyed youkai.

"So, I see you have the market cornered on magic items, utsukushii Suzuka."

"Yeah. What do you want?"

"I don't believe I ever thanked you properly. Without your scroll, I would never have learned the _jaou ensatsu ken_." He was apparently quite surprised…and skeptical.

"You're lying."  
"Partly, yes. All I have to do is learn the Kokuryuuha and I've finished."  
"Prove it."

"Okay." I took my hands out of the pockets of my tight jeans and they burned with the now familiar flames. I punched the rock I had been leaning on and it disintegrated. The fire vanished, but Suzuka's shocked look didn't. "Happy?"

"Fascinating. You're a quick learner, Youko-san." I replaced my hands in my pockets.

"No need for formalities, utsukushii Suzuka.. It's Naoko-chan."

"In that case, call me Suzuka, Naoko-chan. Good luck against Team Toguro."

"Thanks…for everything."

"Whatever."

end of chapter twenty-seven


	28. The End Approaches

Chapter 28: The End Approaches

It was the morning of our last fight, and I was trying as hard as I could to finish mastering the jaou ensatsu ken.

"J…Jaou Ensatsu…K-Kokuryuuha!" There was an explosion of fire right in my face and I fell backwards. I hadn't summoned anything remotely dragon-like in any semblance of the word. I did, however, have serious burns on my left arm now.

"Kisama…" I said to myself, covering half my arm in bandages. I just finished tying them around my hand when I heard a voice behind me.

"So, you're the one Suzuka has such faith in." I spun around to see Shishiwakamaru watching me.

"What the hell do you want?"

"I just wanted to meet you. Suzuka told me last night of the girl who would master the Makai flame, and I was interested in speaking with you myself."  
"And why would you care what I do with my life?"

"I was just curious, I suppose. Curious and maybe a little excited. Mastery of the black fire is a rare thing, something I had not expected to see in my lifetime."

"And it doesn't look like something I'll see in mine."

"Don't be hard on yourself. Was that your first try?"

"Yeah."  
" It could have been worse."

"Yeah, I could've died." I said sarcastically. Shishi smiled at me, and I blushed.

"Look, I have read that scroll, too, and I just want to say you show amazing comprehension of the obscure for one so young."

"That is how I was raised, Shishiwakamaru."

"Please, it's Shishi. With a lisp like yours, that's all you can afford to say. If we meet again outside this tournament, I would like to see your progress in learning the dragon. Until then, you shall be late for your match if you don't hurry."

"Okay, Shishi. I'll see you around!" I turned and ran off, thinking/These youkais aren't as bloodthirsty as I thought…/

Later…

Kurama was fighting Karasu…and losing. I won't put many details here, because I've been trying to forget ever since it happened. Near the end, Karasu had taken his true form and Kurama was on the brink of death. Suddenly, his aura flared up and his eyes glowed with an ivory light as he summoned a giant Makai rose from the ground and killed Karasu, then collapsed. I freaked out, spun around and started crying on Hiei-sama's shoulder. The grim reality sunk in slowly: I was alone. The only family I had left was dead. Hiei-sama didn't resist, just placed one arm over my shoulders. His touch didn't make it hurt any less, and I just kept crying. I couldn't help it. Youko would destroy me for this, I knew it, but I didn't care.

"Naoko," came a soft voice, "it's okay." I turned around to see my injured brother standing in front of me. His leaf green eyes looked at me before he smiled warmly. A huge smile started to repair my broken heart as I jumped on him with a tight embrace.

"Kurama! Kurama Kurama Kurama Kurama!" I had never felt that elated in my life.

Later…

Well, after Hiei-sama's fight, I was sufficiently frightened of him. He had used a superpowered Ensatsu Kokuryuuha, and with a surge of jealousy, I remembered my minor explosion in comparison. Anyway, the technique had been reflected and apparently killed its user, but then he reappeared in a flash of fire, saying the one single phrase I will never, ever forget.

"Now I have the power of the black dragon…because now I _am_ the dragon." It was more or less true, he had become completely impervious to pain. _/I'll never be that strong…never. /_ Needless to say, he won and then fell asleep as soon as he walked back over to us. I couldn't help but laugh, he looked so kawaii. It was then I decided I would tell him. If, when this tournament ended, we were both alive, I would tell him.

end of chapter twenty-eight


	29. I Won’t Let It End This Way!

Chapter 29: I Won't Let It End This Way!

We soon won the match and the tournament, but we had a bigger problem now: the stadium was going to explode. The final challenge of Team Urameshi, huh? The five of us, plus Koenma, Yukina, Keiko, Shizuru and Botan, were doing our best to escape. The walls were beginning to collapse around us when we reached a dead end. The ceiling had collapsed in our path and we were trapped. My heart raced as I realized there wasn't enough time to find another exit. After all we had been through together, from the day I met Hiei-sama to right now, flashed through my mind. After all the pain and fear we had suffered…we were all going to die. I glanced at Hiei-sama and then Yukina. She would never know who her brother was…and he would never know how I felt. I was the only one with enough Spirit Energy left, and as I realized this, something snapped.

"That's IT! There is NO WAY any of us are dying like THIS! JAOU…ENSATSU…_RENGOKU-SHO_!" I punched at the cement barrier as fast as I could, and it started to break apart. Fifteen seconds left…ten… I stopped, exhausted, and suddenly it exploded. Jin and Touya were standing on the other side, both smiling.

"C'mon, let's get outta here."

A few seconds later…

We all escaped milliseconds before the arena exploded, and we all stopped, watching the blazing inferno.

"I guess that's something else I owe you guys for." I said in an undertone to Jin and Touya. The two of them glanced at each other for a moment. "…I can't thank you guys enough. I was really scared for a minute. There must be something I can do for you."

"There is: Just don't worry about it." the ice shinobi said with a rare smile. A giant smile spread across my face and I hugged Touya, throwing my arms around his neck. Jin later said that a very light pink blush made its presence known on his pale face. I was so thankful for friends like them at the moment, but I didn't realize Hiei-sama was watching me with jealous crimson eyes.

end of chapter twenty-nine


	30. It’s Shaping Up To Be Another Great Year

_((This chapter is specially dedicated to my best friend who is just as responsible for this chapter as I am. They know who they are, and I just want to thank them for their outstanding support of this story.))_

Chapter 30: It's Shaping Up To Be Another Great Year

It was a cold November 4th as I sat on the steps of Genkai-shihan's temple, listening to the voices of my new friends inside. They had begun training there, but a few minutes later, they all left, walking past me.

"Sayonara, Naoko."

"Bye, Touya-kun."

"See y' later, Naoko-chan."

"I will, Jin-kun."

"Farewell, Naoko-dono." I sighed. Shishi had taken to calling me the old samurai equivalent of '-sama'.

"Goodbye, Shishi, and stop calling me that."  
"Okay, Naoko-dono." He never listened when I said that to him. Oh, well. Finally, I was alone…rather, _we_ were alone. I walked over to a certain tree and looked up at the dark figure resting in the branches.

"Hi, Hiei-sama." He opened one crimson eye and answered with a short and simple "Hn."

"You seem unusually placid today."

"Well, I'm not. You of all people should know I'm always like this." Was he admitting I knew him better than any of the others? Well, he was right.

"You're right, I do. Listen…could you come down here for a second? I have to tell you something." With an exasperated sigh, he replied,

"This better be important." Before I could blink, he was right in front of me. "Well? What is it?" I was slightly apprehensive. Maybe this was a bad idea…maybe I was being a little hasty. I took a deep breath and spoke.

"It's…complicated. Basically, all I have to say is…" It was now or never, and I chose now. Taking a step forward, I drew close and kissed him. As soon as I pulled away, I realized that I had probably made a mistake. My dearest fire youkai stared at me in total shock. Amazed at my own actions, I traced my half-open mouth with two long fingers. Then, I looked away, completely embarrassed and rather ashamed of myself.

"Hiei-sama, I…I…" I felt my skin get as warm as Ningenkai flames as I stared at the ground and continued. "L-listen, I…" His ice-cold crimson eyes softened, and I thought my heart would stop.

"No, it's okay…" he said, kissing me in return. I stood corrected. _Now_ I thought my heart would stop. "…But I thought you loved Touya Kori." I laughed.

"No way. Touya's just my friend, that's all." Hiei-sama didn't seem to know what to say next as I felt something light fall from the tree's branches.

"You…uh…have a leaf in your hair." I couldn't help but smile and follow my instincts.

"I don't care, Hiei-sama." I slowly slipped my arms around him and the crimson-eyed demon smiled back, returning my embrace.

end of chapter thirty


	31. Regret and Remembrance

Chapter 31: Regret and Remembrance

The next morning, I felt sick over what had happened the previous day, and the injuries Youko inflicted on me didn't help. I went to my favorite park, where I knew I could be alone and think. I had spent about an hour lying under a red and gold maple tree when Hiei-sama walked over and smiled. I glanced up, and when I saw who was hovering over me, I stood up, blushing in embarrassment.

"H-hi…Hiei-sama, listen…about yesterday, I…" My eyes locked on the ground. I glanced up and he said softly,

"Please…don't apologize." He gave me a gentle look I don't think anyone else had ever seen. I couldn't help but stammer as my heart melted.

"But I…it's just that…" He touched my face with one gentle hand and guided me to look into his crimson eyes.

"Just what, Naoko?" I desperately held back tears and managed to say:

"Well…we've known each other for a while and I was afraid that…I had hurt our friendship." Hiei-sama sighed and took his hand away. "Just…t-tell me one…one thing, Hiei-sama…"

"What?"

"Has our relationship changed? Do you think of me any differently now?" The fire demon stared into the forest, at a total loss for words.

"…It's…hard to explain…" I really wanted an answer.

"Please try."

Hiei-sama thought for a moment before saying, more to himself than me: "It's just…I've been used to being alone for so long…" After a short silence, he continued. "I used to think of you as just a half-rate fighter, but…you're different. You're not like Urameshi and the others."

"Different?" H…how?" Nervously, he ran one hand through his spiky black hair.

"I can't really explain it…" I finally found the courage to look right at him.

"I understand, Hiei-sama." I kissed him again. His arms gently slid around me and he returned it.

"Hiei-sama…I…I love you."

"I love you too." he replied, holding me in a tight embrace.

"Do you mean that?"

"Yes, I _really_ mean it." Suddenly, I felt a twisting pain in my heart as I pulled away from him, looking at the ground.

"What's wrong?" Hiei-sama asked, looking both confused and concerned at once. I turned my eyes skyward, took a deep breath and started explaining what I felt.

"It's just...Well, listen...it was my birthday yesterday. It shouldn't bother me anymore, but...sixteen years ago, my brother and I had a bandit partner named Kuronue. He was...perfect. Smart, funny, and the nicest guy in the world, y'know? Kuronue and Kurama were best friends, but... Kuronue cared about me more than anyone. He was special to me. _Really_ special. It was the day before my birthday sixteen years ago...the 'famous' three bandits made a stupid mistake. Condensed version...Kuronue died...saving my life. I felt so stupid. I guess I still do." I looked down and closed my eyes, trying my best to hold back the tears that caught in my throat. I felt his eyes on me for a few seconds, and then he put his arms around my shoulders and kissed my head lightly.

"You can't blame yourself, it'll only turn into hate and consume you. You'll be cold to everybody around you. Don't do that. Please. I know," Hiei-sama said, holding me close.

"I-I know…it just…hurts. Every time I say I love you…it hurts so much." I managed to say, still fighting not to cry. The fire youkai held me for a few minutes, speaking softly and doing his best to comfort me. I returned his gentle touch, still shaking.

"Naoko…I don't know why those words hurt you…but I love you. I really do. If that means I have to walk to the ends of this world and the demon world…then I will. I want to prove it and help take away your pain…" I smiled, feeling truly content for the first time in centuries.

end of chapter thirty-one


	32. Once Upon a Midnight Dreary

Chapter 32: Once Upon A Midnight Dreary

I was sitting on the roof of Meiou High, alone with my sketchbook, when I heard the fluttering of leathery wings followed by the 'clack clack' sound of high-heeled boots.

"Hey, Silrowen."

" 'Evening, oka-sama. I heard about you and Hiei-kun."  
"Really? How?"

"Kurama was watching you from behind a tree. He's the one who told me."

"Oh…So, what do you want?"

"Well…I wanted to know…how do I tell someone I love them?" I glanced over as she sat down beside me.

"Huh? Why do you want to know that?"

"Well, duh. I like someone and they don't know it yet."

"I'm listening…" The pale youkai blushed and her long ears twitched nervously.

"Um…well…it's, uh…"

"You can stammer all night, I'll still be waiting." She sighed.

"Touya." I was shocked for a moment, but I recovered quickly.

"Touya. Touya _Kori_, the ice master?"

"Why, do you know another?"

"Nope. I was just checking." She watched me as I placed my mechanical pencil behind one ear thoughtfully.

"I guess…if you're destined for each other…the words will just come to you when you need them, y'know? In our case…I promised myself during the tournament that I would tell him…if we both survived. We did, so I just said it. That make any sense, Silrowen?"

"…Yeah, it does." she said with a smile. "So, whatcha drawing?" I showed her the page in my sketchbook that showed Kuronue, the way he looked when he gave me my necklace. Silrowen stared at the pencil sketch for a moment, looking surprised.

"That's…that's…" I laughed at her expression of almost comical surprise.

"Yep. Did you forget?"

"…Yes. It's been a while, huh?"

"Yeah, it has, I guess…" Silrowen stood up and so did I.

"Well, I've got to go find Touya. See you later." She jumped off the roof and spread her wings, flying off. Smiling, I turned and started for the nearby forest, eager to continue my training.

end of chapter thirty-two


	33. Kuroi Tenshi

Chapter 33: Kuroi Tenshi

Okay, it was the same night that I had spoken to Silrowen. My burns had almost completely healed from the last attempt, so I was ready to give it another shot. I felt the black flames awakening in my heart as they formed a perfect sphere in my hand.

" JAOU ENSATSU…_KOKURYUUHA_!" For a split second, I felt like it would work, but all that resulted was a bigger explosion than last time. When my eyes opened, I realized the trees around me were all on fire. I thought fast, paging through the spellbook in my mind…_ /Water spells…water spells…come on/_ Then, there was a cracking noise as a branch behind me broke and fell on my shoulders, accompanied by a scorching, white-hot pain throughout my body. Suddenly, there was a flash of fire as I felt a change take place in my very soul. All of a sudden, the pain stopped. It just halted, and I felt more or less normal…but I was hovering off the ground. _/Worry about that later/_ said a voice in my mind, _/just take care of the fire. /_ Finally I thought of a water spell.

"_Yala onna en' alu!_" A flood of ice water shot from the air in front of my outstretched hand, extinguishing the Makai flames. Now I decided to figure out what in the name of holy Inari was going on with me. I landed lightly on the scorched ground, feeling unusually warm. Looking over my shoulder, I saw the strangest thing. Imagine angel wings, okay? White, feathered, the whole nine yards. Now take the image of those white wings and, as a popular American song once said, paint it black. Finally, imagine every black feather of those wings engulfed in black Makai flames. That's exactly what I saw: a huge pair of black angel wings. Disbelievingly, I stretched them forward slightly and touched one blazing feather, quickly drawing my hand away. There wasn't a burn on my hand, aside from the ones I had received from my attempt at the Kokuryuuha. I was silent for a moment, stunned. Who wouldn't have been? I had to do something about this before my brother found out. As soon as I thought that, the flames dissolved and the wings vanished.

"What the…" Were they gone, I asked myself? Soon, I found when I concentrated carefully enough, they would always reappear with a flash of fire. "…Excellent." I got rid of them and went on my way home.

end of chapter thirty-three


	34. Am I Doing ANY Work?

Chapter 34: Am I Doing Any Work Whatsoever?

Allow me to catch you up to the sort of sub-mission I missed out on. Basically, Yusuke got himself captured by the 'enemy' and it was up to Hiei-sama, Kurama, and Kuwabaka to help him. Where was I? Oh, I was catching up on algebra homework. I may be a kitsune, but I never claimed to be a smart one. In case you were wondering, I had retaken my human name and I was going to Meiou High with Kurama. Anyway, the enemy was three human boys with psychic powers. Kito, a classmate of Kurama's named Kaito, and (you ready for this one?) Mitsunari Yanagisawa. (makes 'Shishiwakamaru' seem uncomplicated in comparison, ne?) They weren't really 'evil'; they were just a test set for us by…get _this_…Genkai! Yes, the same Genkai that had been killed by the younger Toguro brother was 'back with a vengeance,' as they say. How? You act as if I know everything, foolish human. I know only what I'm placing here on my poor, overused floppy disc. So stop asking so many questions. Anyway, Genkai-shihan informed us of an infamous tape known only as the 'Chapter Black.' Apparently, it showed every revolting, diabolical, deplorable act humans had ever committed on demons and each other. All in two compact hours. Nice, huh? According to her (and, later also from Koenma) some psycho answering to the name of Shinobu Sensui had stolen the tape from Spirit World…what was it again…Oh, yeah. He stole it maybe two days after we defeated Team Toguro. Between the three youkais of the detectives and this Sensui guy, they must really need some more security, right? Wrong. That's just how powerful -and clever- Sensui was. And I'm not exactly discrediting us, either, y'know? We soon discovered that Sensui had six other psychics (in other words, humans with special powers) working for him.

Their goal? To destroy all other humans by opening a gateway to the Makai. It would be comparable to mass genocide within minutes. Minutes. You foolish humans would have no possible chance, and I'm just talking about with the lower class demons. Allow me to explain about the whole class thing I keep mentioning. Spirit World organized all youkais by the amount of their power into certain classes. As far as I know, there's D-class through A-class, lowest to highest. Then, of course, there's S-class. To put it in perspective, I'm approximately in lower B-class right now. My Youko, I think, is an upper A-class. Sensui, however, had the power of an upper S-class youkai. A human had the power of the strongest youkais. Scary, huh? I'm just going to skip through these next few chapters, because a) I had little effect on these events outside of that I had on two of the seven I spoke of before and b) I don't really remember all of it. So, here goes.

end of chapter thirty-four


	35. Mitarai Kiyoshi

Chapter 35: Mitarai Kiyoshi

Before we knew that much about Shinobu Sensui, the Makai portal, the Chapter Black tape, etc., I was running to Yusuke's apartment. The night before there had been a very nice rainstorm, my enjoyment of which was interrupted by an explosive rush of energy. I had no idea who it was. It wasn't Kurama, Hiei-sama, or Yusuke…but that would leave the moron, and the energy was way too powerful for him. It just didn't add up, I thought as I raced into Yusuke's apartment the next day. I found everyone there, even Botan and Shizuru. Predictably, Hiei-sama was not present at that time, but someone else was. He was a blond human teenager who gave off the appearance of being in a constant state of anxiety or fear. His cobalt eyes locked on me for a moment before he looked away nervously. My brother followed his gaze and looked at me in surprise.

"Oh, Naoko. I was wondering when you'd get here." He stood up and placed his hands on my shoulders. "Here, sit down." I took his chair, still watching the human. "This is Mitarai Kiyoshi…one of Sensui's seven." I must have glared at him, because he instantly looked considerably more nervous. "It's a very, very long story, which I'm afraid I don't entirely have time to relate. I have to talk with Yusuke and Kuwabara. Can you stay here for a few minutes?"

"Hn. Whatever, Kura-chan." He walked out and I was left alone with Mitarai. We were silent for a few minutes until I asked the one simple question:

"…Why are you working for Sensui?" He stared at me for a moment and I got up, walking to the window.

"You don't understand. You never could."

"So I assume you've seen the tape?"

"…Chapter Black is…it documents the bloodiest, most horrific things humans can do. I've experienced the cruelty of humanity myself; I know what you're capable of." I glanced over my shoulder at him: he didn't honestly think… "Sensui wants to destroy humanity because there's no hope for them." I walked over and sat down next to him, silent for a moment. Mitarai stared at me with navy blue eyes full of corrupted innocence, for lack of a better term. I leaned over and hugged him.

"You've seen the darkest side of the worst race in the universe, I don't blame you for not trusting us." I let go of him, realizing how shocked he was.

"You have no idea what you're talking about! You're just a human like the rest of them!" he snapped. I felt the same rage I showed to Kuwabara in the tournament finals.

"I am not human. Don't _ever_ refer to me as such again, you pitiful little moron." I blinked and saw how shocked he was. "…Sorry. Didn't mean that the way it sounded."

"Y-you…" Suddenly, I felt someone's Spirit Energy flare up outside and I saw motion out of the corner of my eye. In a split second, I teleported in front of Mitarai and put up an energy shield. Five or six marbles slammed against it and fell to the floor. Staring through the glass doors, I saw someone standing on the roof of an adjacent building. My eyes focused on him after a moment, and I realized I knew who it was. He brushed his jet-black hair out of his ice-cold eyes, staring me down like a hawk. Touya's frozen eyes had nothing on this human's for one reason. Touya's eyes were devoid of any and all emotion, but this new adversary was just the opposite. His raspberry colored eyes were full of malicious anger and rage.

"…Kaname…" I said softly. I heard Mitarai's voice behind me.

"That's Sniper, another of the seven…you…you know him?"

"Know him? For Inari's sake, he's in my biology class!" His name was Kaname Hagiri, and he was the class introvert…aside from me, that is. All the girls were after him, and to be honest, I would hardly have been an exception, were I like those humans. In my defense, everyone had a crush on him. Don't single me out. Anyway, just then I sensed another human's energy and it was so powerful it sent a shiver through my whole body. Maintaining the energy shield, I yelled into the other room.

"Kurama! We have to go right now, I think we've got a fight coming up sooner than we wish! Come on, Urameshi, move it! That goes for you too, useless!" I heard my brother's voice just before they entered the room.

"Well, you heard her, guys…Naoko, how are we going to get out with Sniper right there!"

"Just go, I'll hold up this shield as long as I can."

"No, we'll need you to come with us. Botan, you stay here, we'll draw Sniper's attention."

"Gotcha." Kurama and the others left and I followed soon after.

end of chapter thirty-five


	36. Want To Debate His Usefulness Now?

Chapter 36: Want to Debate His Usefulness Now!

It ended up that we were in an old-style showdown, myself and the others on one side and our opposition: Sniper and Shinobu Sensui himself. Sensui and Yusuke were speaking in soft tones with underlying malice. As they did so, I locked eyes with Sniper and contacted him through telepathy.

_/You're Kaname Hagiri, aren't you/_ There was a short silence before he answered.

_/Kinomoto Chitose. I always knew you weren't human…like your brother. /_

_/Why are you doing this, Kaname? Why are you working for this psychopath/_

_/Consider this your first and only warning not to call me Kaname. Understand/_

_/Y-yeah, I got it. /_

_/Well, it seems to be time for Sensui-sama and myself to be leaving. /_

_/What…/_ Suddenly, the self-proclaimed 'Dark Angel' fired a huge energy sphere…right at Yusuke's apartment. There was an explosion, and all hell broke loose. There was total confusion, in which I turned and ran straight for the apartment, sprinting upstairs.

"Botan-chan, Mitarai-kun…!" I raced in and found the apartment a wreck and Genkai-shihan healing the ferrygirl's mild injuries.

Later…

Allow me to summarize the story so far. Mitarai is on our side, Yusuke's short one apartment, and Kuwabaka just happens to have the power to open a pathway between this world and the hellish plane of my 'hometown,' if you will. Here's the interesting part: Kuwabaka is currently in the custody of Sensui. Great, huh? Luckily for us, the tunnel would not be quite that far for a while. We had two days, maximum. Also luckily, Yusuke was chasing them and I was chasing Yusuke, finally utilizing those black wings I got a while ago. Let me tell you, when Urameshi gets on a bicycle, there's just nothing that'll stop him.

end of chapter thirty-six


	37. Psychic Sharpshooter

Chapter 37: Psychic Sharpshooter

So, anyway, it was maybe a half hour after the first altercation, and I had long since fallen behind Yusuke in his pursuit. Finally, I sensed his Spirit Energy and I landed on a rocky cliff overlooking a forest. Suddenly, there was an explosion in the forest itself. Looking over as my wings vanished, I realized Sniper was standing close by. Quickly, I ducked behind a rock, trying to figure out what had just happened. If he saw me, there was a good chance I wouldn't live to be six hundred thirty seven, I realized as I saw the silver semi-automatic in his right hand. Suddenly, a cold shiver went up my spine as I sensed someone's very familiar chakra. A smile played across my face and a snicker escaped my throat as I turned and saw Yusuke beside none other than Jaganshi Hiei. Sniper was staring at the crimson-eyed youkai past the glittering handgun. The human spoke in a soft, angry tone. Hiei-sama didn't answer, just slowly advanced on him. I felt my hands shaking in nervous anticipation. Then, Sniper fired and Hiei-sama vanished, teleporting faster than Kaname could follow, even though he tried. The next thing I knew, Hiei-sama was right in front of Kaname and he had the trademark sword he loved so much apparently right through his heart. When he saw Yusuke's shocked expression, he said in a cold voice,

"What, now I can't even kill the _evil_ humans? Hn. It's a few inches from his heart, if that's what you're worried about." With a shaking hand, Sniper aimed the semi-automatic right at Yusuke.

"N-no one can stop our justified cause…" With one quick motion, Hiei-sama stabbed Kaname again, and he (in most appearances) died. Yusuke and Hiei-sama spoke for a moment before, unsurprisingly, starting to fight each other. Guys can be such idiots. I stepped out from behind the rock and looked at Sniper. I sensed his chakra, so he was still alive. In my heart, I knew this wasn't right. He was just a kid, why should he have to die for Sensui's goals? Ignoring the fight nearby, I walked forward as my chakra crystal glowed with a pale white light. I sat down on a rock beside him and touched his shoulder with two long fingers. The white glow transferred to my hand and then vanished. After a moment or two, Kaname's eyes opened and he looked at me for a moment before blinking twice.

"Kinomoto…what are you doing?" I didn't answer. "I…tried to kill your friends."

"…Whatever. Just leave if you don't want to get hurt." He stood up and so did I.

"Who are you…really?" I was silent for a moment before I turned and ran off.

end of chapter thirty-seven


	38. Private Conversation

Chapter 38: Private Conversation

I don't know why I ran away. Maybe I just needed to be left alone for a little while. Anyway, not long after, we were all going to Demon's Door Cave, the source of the Makai portal. My brother was leaving a trail of my personal favorite Makai plant, the Akaru weed. A trail of little, luminous plants lined our pathway. Hiei-sama glanced at me and I sent him a telepathic message.

_/Where have you been lately/_

_/Nowhere. I just had to take care of a few things, that's all. /_

_/Uh-huh, sure. Where were you/_

_/I'm not telling you, Naoko. /_

_/Okay, okay, fine. Keep your secrets, I don't care. /_

_/So what do you think of all this/_

_/I don't like it…I never liked the Makai and I won't like it brought here. /_

_/Are you sure? Don't tell me you didn't think of it even once/_

_/Th…think of what/_

_/That you might want to go home. I admit, I thought about it. /_ I was shocked, to say the very least. 'Floored' might be a better description.

_/Why…why would you ever want to go back there/ _

_/…I don't know, it was just a thought, I suppose. /_

_/Hiei-sama…if you were given the choice, would you? Would you honestly go to the Makai and never return/_ He hesitated, and that was enough to make me nervous.

_/I wouldn't, Naoko. I would have no reason to. / _I sighed audibly and then glanced around to see if anyone noticed. None of the others looked back.

_/…You're sure/_

_/Absolutely. / _I smiled and touched his shoulder.

"Thanks." I whispered softly so only the crimson-eyed demon could hear me.

end of chapter thirty-eight


	39. A Fight With An Obvious Outcome

Chapter 39: Do You Really Want To Hear About A Fight With an Obvious Outcome?

Wow, that's got to be my longest chapter name yet. Well, we found out who the remaining members of the seven were: Amanuma, also known by the name 'Gamemaster,' Itsuki, a.k.a Gatekeeper, who was a Yaminate. (Translation: a kind of demon you don't exactly see everyday with the power to create transdimensional rifts.) Then there was Gourmet, but I'll explain about that in a second. Finally, there was Sensui, or 'Dark Angel'. As I saw him, I heard my Youko saying arrogantly, _/Dark Angel? Hn. **I'll** show him a **real** dark angel. /_ But anyway, back to the second one. Gourmet was supposedly just like the others: a human with special powers. Disgusting as this sounds, his power was to acquire the powers of any human or demon. But -and here's the revolting part- he had to eat them to get it. Hence the name. So, anyway, we defeated Gamemaster, them made it into the center of the cave, where the other three were waiting with Kuwabara and a really big black hole in midair. (The Makai portal, I assumed. What else _could_ it have been?) Long story short, first Kurama defeated Gourmet, who was actually Elder Toguro in disguise, then the teal haired Yaminate sealed everyone but Yusuke and Sensui in some creepy alternate dimension where we could see what was going on, but we were rendered unable to help. It was the strangest feeling…watching the fate of the world unfold from behind a glass shield. Anyway, Kuwabaka finally made himself useful and cut through Itsuki's cage with his Dimension Sword. My mind had shut itself down, (judging by my emotionless look) confused by the utter chaos. Suddenly, I realized something…

Yusuke…Yusuke was dead. Sensui had killed the younger Spirit Detective, accomplishing what Youko Naoko had sworn to do ever since she had first lost to him so long ago. With a sudden, bracing jolt back to reality, I comprehended what at the time I took to be a fact…

We would all soon suffer the same fate.

Not long after, we found ourselves in the Makai, and I have little to no idea just how Sensui pulled that one off. Next thing I knew, Kurama used some sort of magic or something to gain Youko Kurama's appearance and powers…but keep Shuichi's voice and personality! I don't know what unnerved me more: being back home or _that_. Youko/Shuichi fought Sensui and was defeated with little effort on the former detective's side. An ice-cold fire burned throughout my soul as I felt my own rage united with that of my Youko. In that one moment, the two of us agreed on something for the first and last time in our lives.

Shinobu Sensui would die on that day.

In the space of half a second, I created my Rose Whip and teleported forward.

"Rose Whiplash!" Our anger rushed to the surface, manifesting itself in my attack. Putting this in perspective, I am fairly confident that the attack we used at that moment could have destroyed Karasu in one hit. Sensui, however, dodged it and vanished. For a split second, I was on the verge of panicking until I heard Youko's voice.

_/He's right behind you, idiot girl-//_

"Reikou Resshuyo-Ken!" I hardly had time to turn and face my opponent before his attack slammed into me with all the force of an eighteen-wheeler. Thrown to the ground, I realized I had never felt a physical pain of that magnitude before in my life. Then I heard Youko yelling at me so loudly my consciousness threatened to fail me.

_/Let me take over, baka ningen//_

_/N-no, you'll kill everyone/_

_/My revenge will not be enacted tonight. Not this way. I merely wish to live long enough to kill you and your friends in a way more deserving of my effort, do you hear me//_

I believed her and I allowed her to surface again.

"Mateki Sandan Shya!" Ice crystals flew from her hand and as I watched, Sensui vanished again. Youko was smarter than me, she turned right away. It didn't help, however. Sensui created twenty energy spheres and fired them all at us. The next thing I knew, we had slammed into the ground, pain shooting through our shared form. She lost consciousness and my human form returned. Without her tolerance, the pain intensified, if that was possible, and I think I may have screamed audibly. Seconds later, Hiei-sama was right by my side.

"Naoko! Naoko, are you okay?" the fire demon said, his hands on my shoulders.

"Y-yeah…" I said in a shaky voice, "I-I'll…I'll be alright, I think." Seconds later, everything got really dark as I fainted.

end of chapter thirty-nine


	40. Good Morning

Chapter 40: Good Morning…No, _Really_!

When I woke up, I found myself back in my room at Kurama's house. Looking around, I realized that bright sunlight was streaming through the windows.

"Oh, good, you're awake." I looked over at Hiei-sama, who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. "You shouldn't take risks like that." A smile played across my face as I raised and lowered one shoulder.

"I guess it's just in my nature."

"Well, you should probably try to change. And don't scare me like that." I smiled again as I got up and opened the window.

"You're right, I should. Sorry about that."

"Yusuke's alive, by the way." Surprised, I glanced over my shoulder at him as I searched for my favorite hairbrush.

"Really? He should be dead."

"Hn. 'Should be,' but he's not. In fact…Urameshi's a youkai." What in the name of Makai! I spun around and stared at him, the lost brush forgotten.

"Wh-what! What do you…huh? I mean…wha!" In one moment of shock, I had forgotten the entire Japanese language.

"Well, he's not full demon." Hiei-sama said without the slightest change in his expression. "He's a half-breed. I was just as surprised as you are right now."

"…A half-breed…are…are you serious!" He gave me the 'well, of course, stupid' look. I took a deep breath and tried my best to calm down. _/I am really sick of surprises./_ As I thought these words, I couldn't help but snicker and run one hand through my hair.

"What a night, huh? Judging by the lack of revolting low-class youkais outside, I'm guessing Yusuke took care of Sensui?"

"Yeah, he's dead."

"…What about Itsuki?" I wasn't looking at him, but I could tell Hiei-sama was mildly surprised.

"He took Sensui to another dimension with him. Why?" I stared into the azure sky and my thoughts manifested themselves into words without the permission of my voice.

"Even though he was our enemy…part of me still hoped…that he could be happy." I didn't mention this before, but Itsuki had spoken of a relationship between himself and Sensui that…in all honesty, sounded eerily like myself and Hiei-sama. The teal haired demon had fallen hopelessly in love with the former detective, and even though he was unsure whether or not Sensui returned his affection, it didn't matter. In my heart, I knew Itsuki would have loved Shinobu Sensui even if the schizophrenic human didn't even know he existed.

"…Naoko, what are you talking about?" the fire demon said, jolting me back to reality. He walked over and stood beside me, watching with concerned bloodred eyes. I smiled in an indistinct way with what I suppose was a mixture of sadness, warmth, and maybe a little confusion.

"It's nothing."

"Something's wrong, I can tell." I looked at the sky again, a perfect, cloudless cerulean.

"I need a vacation. I have to get away from this whole Spirit Detective thing." As I said these words, my eyes strayed to a framed picture on my desk. It was the same sketch of Kuronue that I had shown Silrowen a while before. Carefully, so that Hiei-sama wouldn't notice, I slipped my arm behind him and placed it facedown, then rested my hand on his shoulder.

"If you're planning on leaving for a while, then I'll come with you." he said quietly, placing his arm around my waist and pulling me close. I looked over at him and smiled.

"I wouldn't want it any other way."

end of chapter forty


	41. Kaname

Chapter 41: Kaname

I was walking through a forest the next day, looking for the tiger lilies I had planted a few weeks before. Why? Long story. In other words, I don't remember. Then, I heard two voices in a clearing by a river. One was Sniper and the other was the least mentioned of the seven, Minoru Kamiya.

"Yeah, so now that it's over, I guess I'll just go back to normal teenage life." I heard Sniper say in a calm voice. Not long after that, Kamiya left and Sniper just stared at the river for a few minutes. I came out from the tree I was hiding in and approached him silently. The raspberry-eyed teenager didn't give any notice that he knew I was there. I was right behind him, my hand a few inches from his shoulder. I withdrew it after a moment, not wanting to provoke him into any homicidal mood. Without a sound, I turned and started to leave.

"You never answered me when we last saw each other." he said without turning around. I looked over my shoulder, surprised.

"And what was it you wanted me to answer, Sniper?"

"Who or what the hell are you…really?"

"I'm a kitsune and an earth demon." He turned around and so did I. We stared at each other for a moment or two.

"Why did you save me, Kinomoto?" I raised and lowered one shoulder, ignoring the use of my false name.

"Because I like you. Besides, I don't like people dying for no reason."

"…I still don't get it. I tried to kill your friends."

"Well, yeah, but you didn't exactly succeed. I don't believe what you've done is completely unforgivable, Sniper."

"Y-you can call me Kaname…but only if I can call you Chitose."

"I've got a better idea. Why don't you call me by my real name? I'm Naoko Youko." Kaname smirked.

"Very well, Naoko. Are you busy right now?"

"No, why?"

"Do you want to go out for lunch or something?"

"Sure, Kaname-kun."

end of chapter forty-one


	42. And Then There Were Two

Chapter 42: And Then There Were Two

We spoke to Koenma, and since there appeared to be no imminent danger, he gave us an unofficial vacation. 'Appeared to be' would be the operative word. For once, I thought ahead and told Koenma to contact us just in case our services would be required. He assured me that (for a while, at least) they would not. So, there we were in Mushiyori City, both thinking one simple question:

"What the hell do we do now?" I was the first to say it.

"Well…we could go to Genkai's temple." I realized I hadn't spoken to Silrowen since that night I earned my wings, so to speak, and I was eager to find out what happened with her and Touya. _/If he broke her heart/ _I heard Youko think, _/I'll break his neck. /_

/_Not in my body, you won't. / _She fell angrily silent. We had a huge argument the night before about our short altercation with Sensui. As a result, I had suffered another sleepless night listening to her vindictive thoughts in my mind. The good news was that she hadn't slept either and she was equally tired. The bad news was _that_ just made me more lethargic.

"Yeah, Genkai's temple sounds okay." We started walking in that general direction and I blinked slowly once or twice to shake off my exhaustion.

"Naoko? Is everything okay?" I looked over at Hiei-sama, his words taking a second or two to click in my mind. Once they did, I smiled.

"Yeah." I responded in a voice quieter than usual (which is saying something)

"Are you sure?"

"…Yeah, don't worry. I'll be alright."

"The last time you said that, you fainted." he mentioned without hesitation. Youko's rage fueled by a loss of her precious sleep rose up and I _know_ my eyes flashed scarlet.

"I'm fine, alright! Leave me the hell alone, you damn half-breed!" I slapped my hand over my mouth and locked my eyes on the ground. Hiei-sama didn't answer, just sighed and looked away. I couldn't believe I had just called the fire koorime at my side a half-breed. Soon, we got to Genkai's temple and the first person I saw was Yukina, who was taking care of some flowers.

"Ohayo, Yukina-chan!" The koorime with ice blue hair looked at me with crimson eyes as I walked over.

"Oh, good morning, Naoko-chan." I noticed Hiei-sama had stayed back slightly, just watching us.

"So, what are you doing, Yukina?"

"I was just trying to take care of these roses. They don't seem to be growing right." It was true; the roses Yukina had indicated were small and weak, not to mention wilting.

"I can help." I said with a smile. Extending my hand, I gently rested it on the ground under which I knew the roots of the plant would be. I felt my crystal glow with a pale light and as I watched, the plant became beautiful and healthy. The roses blossomed a beautiful ebony color and I smiled, removing my hand.

"Sorry if you don't like the color. I've never been able to grow normal ones." Yukina gave me her kind smile.

"I like it. It gives the temple a sort of personal touch."

"Thanks."

"Yeah, I like it, too." Hiei-sama had decided to walk forward and actually give his opinion. Yukina and I stood up and both smiled.

"Ohayo, Hiei-kun. I didn't see you there." He blushed just slightly. I spoke of his secret once or twice before, but I don't think I ever explained it. So, here and now, I will disclose the secret I swore to keep forever. (I hope she never reads this.)

Yukina is Hiei-sama's twin sister. Why is it a secret? I'll explain that later, when it has more relevance.

"Y-yeah, ohayo…" Suddenly, he blinked and looked at the forest off to the right. _/Naoko/_ he said telepathically. Then, I sensed it…some kind of malicious presence.

_/I can sense it. Let's go, so Yukina doesn't get hurt. /_

_/Right. /_

"Oh, wow, look at the time. Hiei-sama, we should go or we'll be late for…something. Bye, Yukina, it was nice talking to you!"

"Same to you, Naoko-chan. Sayonara!" Hiei-sama took my hand and in a flash, we were running off at unrivaled speed.

end of chapter forty-two


	43. Dragon of the Black Rose Flame

Chapter 43: Dragon of the Black Rose Flame

We finally stopped a short distance from the temple, in a small clearing in the forest. The malicious presence had intensified if anything. I concentrated on the presence's chakra. Demonic, yes…evil…and familiar. I had sensed this chakra years ago, but I couldn't seem to remember who it was. As my so-called 'seventh sense' focused, I realized something. Whoever this demon was, he was a kitsune.

"Hiei-sama, I…" Before I could finish my sentence, a kitsune with steel gray eyes and hair to match appeared out of nowhere, wearing an entirely black ninja uniform.

"Who the hell are you?" the black haired fire demon demanded. The kitsune looked right at me and smirked. Suddenly, I remembered who he was.

"His name is Sasuke. He's a demon assassin." I glared at him. "What is it you want that you would track me all the way here from Makai?" He laughed and spoke in a voice as cold as his eyes.

"Don't you remember why I went after you fifty years ago?" A memory suddenly surfaced, but I was not about to tell Hiei-sama. "I was sent by the princess who owned that necklace before you. She wanted me to kill you and retrieve the crystal from your broken, bleeding form." I sensed Hiei-sama's spirit aura flare up angrily. "But you were lucky your little koumori boyfriend was there to save you." My temper went through the roof.

"Don't you _dare_ talk about Kuronue." I was exhausted and so was Youko, but that only made us more high strung. If Sasuke kept pushing, he would be dead faster even than Hiei-sama could move.

"Oh, did I hit a nerve?"

"Shut up…" I started to say.

"…or I'll kill you." Hiei-sama finished for me. "Naoko? You ready?"

"As always." In a second, I had my Rose Whip in my hand. Hiei-sama slashed at Sasuke and he dodged, backing into my Rose Whiplash. The gray-eyed kitsune jumped into the nearest tree.

"Your death was ordered by my mistress because she had seen into the future and discovered what you would become, Youko Naoko."

"That isn't my name anymore."

"Yes, I see you are no longer a kitsune. Are you a human now or is that merely a disguise?"

"SHUT UP! Mateki Sandan Shya!" Ignoring Hiei-sama's shocked look, I shot a blizzard of ice at Sasuke, but he teleported. Next thing I knew, the kitsune was right behind me with one arm around my shoulders and the other holding a kunai knife to my throat.

"If I so much as flinch, you die like a dog." I was more enraged than I had been in a long time, and I spoke my own words in my Youko's voice.

"I'm not a dog, I'm a _fox_ and proud of it."

"Yes, you are." Sasuke said in a cold voice. "It's a shame…if we met in other circumstances, I may have wanted you to be mine."

"Go to hell. I'm not what you should be worried about."

"Oh? What _should_ I worry about, then?" I smirked.

"The fire demon with the katana that's about to kill you." In a flash of metal and spray of blood, Sasuke screamed. The hand holding the kunai had been severed, and I was able to teleport back over to Hiei-sama, unharmed save for a tiny cut in the collar of my shirt.

"That was your _last_ chance to escape with your life." As he said this, I realized two things. One: My life had been threatened, and Hiei-sama didn't like that. Two: Sasuke was dead. Simple as that, he was going to die. The black-haired youkai looked at me with crimson eyes.

_/Let's go. /_ From that second, instinct took over. On a rational level, I didn't know what he was talking about. But on a level so much different, some instinctive part of my mind knew and was ready.

_/Right. /_ Black flames erupted around us, collecting in Hiei-sama's right hand. Suddenly, something clicked, and rationality met instinct. I was ready. As he fired the Dragon of the Darkness Flame, I summoned the most powerful plant of my life: a huge version of my Rose Whip, the same size of the dragon itself. Instead of stopping the dragon, as the plant might have normally, they merged together. The two of us had the same cold, calculating smirk in our expressions as we cried in unison:

"DRAGON OF THE BLACK ROSE FLAME!"

end of chapter forty-three


	44. Aftermath

Chapter 44: Aftermath

So, obviously, Sasuke was dead. It was the next day, and I was sitting on a stone wall outside Meiou High, watching the sunset. I felt a little confused, and maybe even worried, as I heard Hiei-sama walk over.

"What's wrong?" he asked, leaning against the wall.

"Nothing really important, I guess."

"You 'guess'? I know something's bothering you. So, what is it?" I stretched out along the wall, lying on my back and staring at the orange and lavender sky.

"Well…it's kind of about that fight yesterday." Before I knew it, I was pouring my heart out. "With our…relationship…the way it is, it's dangerous, and it took a knife to my throat to make me see that. I won't deny that the Dragon of the Black Rose Flame is powerful, but…I'm holding you back. It was the same way with Kuronue, that's why he's dead. D-don't you get it? If a demon wants to hurt you, they'll hurt me. Like it or not, I'm a weakness…your only weakness." I sighed and took a shaking breath. "Kuronue died protecting me because I made a stupid mistake. I don't want you to end up the same way…and I'm afraid we're going to get hurt." That last part was a lie. /_I just don't want Youko to kill you…/_ I looked at him and realized he was completely stunned.

"Wh-what? No, I…I…What are you saying?"

"It seemed pretty clear to me, Hiei-sama." I got up and started to walk away. "Like I said, it's dangerous…goodbye." I figured I would go home…and I did _not_ mean Shuichi Minamino's house.

"Don't leave…please." He grabbed my wrist and forced me to turn back. I pulled my arm away and turned as I felt tears spring to my eyes.

"Why not! Sooner or later I'll make a stupid mistake like I did before and one or both of us will die. What then?" I was hurt, but I didn't know why.

"Then we'll die together! I don't want to be alone, Naoko, don't you understand that!" I wouldn't look at him, but I knew he could see me shaking.

"I don't really understand anything anymore…sometimes I just feel so useless…" I heard Hiei-sama sigh in an almost exasperated way.

"You're not useless. I…I need you, Naoko. You're the only person that…" Slowly, I turned around, brushing crystal tears out of my eyes.

"Th-the only person that _what_, Hiei-sama?"

"That…cares about me…the way you do…" I looked at the ground again.

"Listen, I just don't…want you to get hurt because of me." With a forced laugh, he answered in a quiet voice.

"Do you honestly think anyone or anything could hurt me?" He was lying just to make me feel better, I could tell. Besides, I could think of one person…

"I know you better than that, Hiei-sama. You may not be defenseless, but you're not undefeatable, either."

"Naoko, I just don't…want you to leave." We were both silent for a moment before I spoke. I couldn't believe what he was saying.

"You really want me to stay. You don't care if I cost us our lives?" This was his last chance. He could let me turn around and leave if he wanted me to.

"Yeah…I really don't. I love you, Naoko, and whatever happens I don't care. As long as we're together…" My throat wasn't working right and I spun around, knowing I was about to cry.

"I…I want to stay, I really do, but…I'm scared…" No, I wasn't scared that I would get hurt; I just didn't want Youko anywhere near him. He walked up behind me and wrapped his arms tightly around my shoulders.

"If you want to, then stay. I'll hold you…just like this…whenever you're scared. I'll protect you." I was confused…but happy.

"Hiei-sama…tell me something. Why do you love me…really?" He was silent for a moment, his arms still around me.

"It's just…every time I see you, I'm…happy, and I know this is how it's supposed to be. I…I want to live like this for the rest of my life. I want to be happy and have someone to talk to who will actually listen. I don't really know why, I just do. I just…love you…" I hesitated for a moment before turning around and throwing my arms around him.

"…thank you…Hiei-sama…"

"Just…please…don't leave. I _want_ you to stay. I _want_ to feel this way forever…" Finally, I gave in like I figured I would eventually.

"I…I won't leave. I don't think I ever could." Hiei-sama smiled and placed his arms around my shoulders.

"I don't think I ever would've let you anyway." A light red blush spread across my face.  
"Thanks…" We were silent for a few minutes.

"Listen, I'm sorry I tried to leave. I was just…being an idiot as usual."

"Don't apologize. You're not an idiot."

"If I wasn't an idiot, we wouldn't have started fighting like that. I really am sorry. I just…I…" I stepped back, staring at the ground.

"You just what?"

"I don't know…I can't take this anymore. I love you, I really do, but…still, even thinking those words hurts so much." And no, not just because of Youko.

"Naoko, do you remember what I said the day you said you loved me?"

"You s-said… 'if that means I have to walk to the ends of this world and the demon world, then I will. I want to prove it and help take away your pain.' "

"And I still mean that. Don't ever forget it."

"I used to think you were completely emotionless. That scared me, but at the same time, I wanted that power…to be untouchable by emotional pain. Now I know you never were emotionless, but…I want to be able to make everyone think I'm always okay so…no one has to worry about me." He turned away, staring at the darkening sky.

"Do you think I hate everyone?"

"I used to, before we really knew each other. Now I can see what you're really like." I teleported in front of him and kissed him. "I don't need a Jagan eye to see that." He smiled and pulled me into a sudden embrace.

"I love you so much…I really do." he said before kissing me.

"I've waited for you to say that for the longest time. I wish you could know how happy I am right now."

"Good. I really want you to be happy. You know that, right?"

"Of course. Come on, let's go out for a while. Kurama showed me this restaurant with the best sushi this side of Kyoto."

"Okay, Naoko."

end of chapter forty-four


	45. Kiyoshi

Chapter 45: Kiyoshi

I was enjoying some time to myself for once, walking down an empty city street. As I walked past Sarayashiki Junior High, I saw Yusuke run past me, followed by Kuwabara, neither of which took the slightest notice of me. _/They must be fighting yet again/_ I thought to myself. _/Well, it's not my problem. /_ As I walked past random humans, I heard someone's voice call my name…my real name.

"Hey, Naoko-chan!" Suddenly, I realized how my brother must have felt that time Kuwabaka walked through Meiou High, completely forgetting that his human name was Shuichi Minamino. I turned around and saw Mitarai walking over to me.

"Will you _shut up!_ My name's Chitose! Just for _future_ _reference_, I have a human alias just like Kurama."

"Oh…s-sorry." I smirked and slid my hands into my pockets.

"That's okay. No one really noticed. So, what's up?" He walked beside me, looking a little nervous.

"I-it's nothing, really, I just wanted to talk to you…y'know, just…as friends…?"

"Oh, yeah?" I was more or less unresponsive, but Mitarai seemed to get more nervous with each second.

"Y-yeah. I wanted to…uh…th-thank you."

"Huh? For what?" I glanced over at him, my hands still in the pockets of my tight jeans. Mitarai looked at me for a split second before locking his cobalt eyes on the ground.

"Well…I…I'm not what you would call 'well liked' in school. When I met you…y-you were one of the only ones who even acted like they cared whether or not I existed." We both stopped walking and I stared at him for a moment.

"…Really?"

"Y-yeah…"

"Mitarai…"

"You can call me Kiyoshi."

"…But not even Kaname-kun calls you Kiyoshi."

"Well…you're different. You're so much different than anyone I know." Snickering softly, I turned and started walking away.

"Take my word for it. If there is one living person on this earth that you do not want to get close to, it's Naoko Youko." I realized with a surge of nervous defiance I had switched my names around, signifying that Youko was no longer in control.

"Wait…please wait." I stopped and turned around.

"What is it, Kiyoshi?" The slightly shorter blond teenager leaned forward and I froze as my mind raced to comprehend what he was doing. Before I could even take my hands out of my pockets to stop him, his mouth was locked over mine in a gentle but cautious kiss. Once he pulled away, I stared at him, unable to force any words from my throat.

"…Naoko…I-" My consciousness returned, bringing my comatose state crashing to earth. Slowly, I took a breath and said:

"Kiyoshi…I'm sorry. You're…one of the few humans I trust, and that's saying a lot…but I can't…I don't…"  
"Why not!" he asked. "Naoko, I have no idea why, but I really care about you. Please, just say you-"

"I can't tell you what you want to hear, Kiyoshi! I'm sorry, I sincerely am, but I love someone else." Mitarai looked genuinely hurt, and he sighed.

"I understand. I'll see you later." He turned and walked away before I could answer.

end of chapter forty-five


	46. My Only Reason to Live

Chapter 46: My Only Reason to Live

I wasn't planning to write about this, but I figured that my life's story would be slightly incomplete without it. Sometime after the Dark Tournament, we all discovered that some jerk named Yakumo had practically ravaged Spirit World. He was trying to bring back the Netherworld, the twisted, dangerous fourth world in the Ningenkai/Makai/Reikai equation. Basically, the power to bring that world back or seal it away forever lied within the 'elemental sites' in various locations around Mushiyori City. (Why? Don't ask me.) So, we had to reach these sites before they did. We split up in search of the elemental sites: Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Hinageshi (a friend of Botan's) were one group, Kurama and myself were another, and Hiei-sama insisted on working alone. (surprise, surprise) Night had fallen by the time my brother and I found one of the sites. As he tried to seal its power so the Netherworld could not misuse it, a strange white mist slowly snaked through the night air. I felt a strange presence behind us, and I spun around, as did Kurama.

"…Who's there!" he snapped angrily. A cold, yet incredibly familiar voice replied,

"…How can you say that?" There was a small hint of malicious sarcasm in their tone. "…or have you forgotten your ex-partner?" WHAM. The realization hit me like a cinderblock to the head. My throat was paralyzed with shock, but Kurama vocalized my stunned surprise.

"…Kuronue!" He stepped forward slightly, just enough for the lights of a passing train to confirm his identity. Unusually cold indigo eyes locked on both of us as a familiar crimson pendant swung slowly from his right hand.

"Y-You're still alive!" Kurama cried in shock. I just stared in total and complete shock.

"Y-you…Kuronue…! I…what…how…!" was the best sentence I could articulate. I didn't notice it at first, but now that I think about it, something seemed wrong…really wrong. Kuronue continued in the same quiet, ice-cold voice, ignoring my stammering altogether.

"Think about it, Kurama. You remember…that night near sixteen years ago outside that Makai palace." Kurama was still rather stunned, but he remembered, I knew he did. So did I….or so I thought at the time. Neither of us knew it at the time, but Kurama's memories (along with my own) were being manipulated. The events of that night flashed by, like someone flipping quickly through the pages of a book they've memorized and know by heart. However, this time, something was different. Instead of what really happened (which had somehow been pushed completely from my mind) I recalled a warped, twisted version of my worst nightmare. Everything was basically the same, except I didn't try to get Kuronue's pendant, he fell victim to the trap completely on his own. Then, instead of what he really said to me before Kurama and I were forced to escape…I heard the same voice I was hearing now, speaking in a cold, enraged tone:

"Kurama…you traitor…" Suddenly, I snapped back to reality to see my confused, tormented brother trying to figure everything out.

"No…that's not…it didn't…" Desperately, I tried to speak.

"Kuronue…n-no…I…you…Kurama…" Still stammering. Damn. Still ignoring me, the black haired bat demon snapped at Kurama:

"_You_…you betrayed me and left me to die so you could escape!" A familiar sound suddenly registered in my mind…a high pitched, quick sort of sound, the kind that defies description. However, it didn't _need_ description. Immediately, I knew that was the sound of a razor sharp blade slicing the air on a deadly path to its target. A flash of silver raced by me, forcing my dazed eyes to focus. Kurama reacted almost instantly, dodging Kuronue's favorite weapon: a handheld scythe on a chain. Silrowen had once called it a cross between a yoyo and a boomerang. Yes, this would have been funny, if it wasn't my brother on the adversarial side of this weapon and if Kuronue hadn't been aiming to kill. Anyway, as I said: he almost dodged it, receiving a painful-looking slash slightly above his waistline. In one second, I regained my ability to speak and my will to move. Darting in front of my elder brother, I stared at Kuronue, still in shock at his sudden appearance.

"W-wait! Kuronue, please don't kill him! Th-this isn't like you in the slightest! What in Inari's name is going on!" Obviously, I was still confused. Who wouldn't have been?

Smirking coldly, Kuronue answered, "Pathetic…simply pathetic. That's all you ever were, Naoko. That's all you'll ever be. Just pathetic."

"Wh-what…?" This couldn't be happening…it just couldn't! None of this was right at all, I knew instinctively, but at the same time…it _was_ happening…

"You heard me, little fox. You're useless. In fact, you serve no real purpose among your friends. Think about it. What can you do that everyone else can't? Your idiot brother manipulates plants, that fire demon has supersonic speed...both of which abilities you have in your own considerably weaker ways." Every word he said was absolutely breaking my heart.

"Kuronue…what're you…saying…?"

"I'm saying that you're worthless. To be honest, I never loved you, Naoko." With that one sentence, my heart shattered as easily as glass against a brick wall.

"Wh…n-no…you…"

"I was just trying to get the two of you to trust me. After all…" He snickered softly before finishing his sentence, "…there's strength in numbers. In other words, I was merely using your brother's power as a bandit. You weren't, shall we say, an important factor." I took a step forward, simple, uncontrollable rage controlling my motions.

"Wh…you…! Rose Whipla-" Before I could execute my attack or even get my preferred weapon from its usual hiding place, there was another flash of silver. Caught off guard, I tried to move out of the way, but I wasn't quick enough. There was a sudden cold, blinding pain as Kuronue's scythe slashed me exactly like it had done to Kurama. In the split second it took me to collapse, I was aware of my entire body screaming in pain even though my mind was blank to everything but my fading thoughts:

Kuronue had tried to kill me. Everything I had ever known and accepted as undeniable truth was falling apart. _Kuronue had tried to kill me._ Even if I survived, it was over. I realized I was seconds away from blacking out, and my final thoughts were: _/I don't care anymore…he's right, I am worthless… I don't care if I never wake up again, everyone will…will be far better off without me anyway… /_

end of chapter forty-six


	47. It’s The End Of The World As We Know It

Chapter 47: It's The End Of The World As We Know It

It had been a long night for everyone. All the elemental sites had been destroyed, the only thing left restraining the Netherworld was some energy sphere, blah blah blah…Who cared? What did anything matter anymore, I thought as I sat among the branches of a tall pine tree near Genkai's temple. I sure as hell didn't care anymore. Placing my hand on the bandages wrapped around my waist, I realized that I was completely indifferent concerning the end of the human realm. I just didn't care.

"…Kuronue…" I sighed, "why are you doing this? Why…damn it…?" My sight went blurry and I realized I was crying. Quickly, I brushed the tears away with the back of my hand. I knew what Youko would do to me if I started crying out in the open like that. A few moments later, I heard a familiar voice coming from a nearby branch.

"…Naoko? What're you doing here so late?"

"Wh-huh? Oh, good evening Hiei-sama. I'm just…thinking, I guess."

"About…"

"What else? The apocalypse." A blatant lie. I was thinking about Kuronue, of course, but I didn't want to tell him that.

"…What happened to your face?" he said calmly.

"Huh?" It took a second or two for me to realize that I had a few traces of my own blood staining my hair and face. "Oh," I said quickly, "I-it's nothing." My crimson-eyed companion was silent for a minute, then jumped onto the highest branch and pulled off his bandana, opening his third eye. His aura was radiating with a strange intensity, and as I stared at him, he said:

"This time, we will start the attack from our side. We _will_ win, Naoko."

"I know…"

Later…

We were on our way to the center of Mushiyori City, where the Netherworld was slowly gaining power. Soon, we came to a construction site overpowered by silvery mist.

"Sheesh…shouldn't we try to go around?" Kuwabara said, sounding irritated.

"No…" Kurama said in a soft, cold voice. "It won't make any difference." Listening to the tone of his voice, I realized just how much this was hurting him as well. Kuronue had been like family to him, and he was able to give Kura-sama the sort of older-brother companionship that I never could. Kurama must have been hurt, being forced to fight the best and only friend he had in Makai. Interrupting my thoughts, I heard an ice-cold laugh slice through the mist like a razorblade.

"You're right, Kurama." My shoulders stiffened as Kuronue's incredibly cold, somewhat mocking voice cut like his famous scythe.

"You _know_ this guy?" Yusuke asked in disbelief. Normally, if he had used that tone of voice speaking about Kuronue, I would have killed him right there. Luckily for Urameshi, this wasn't 'normally.' This was a few thousand light years from 'normally'.

"He was a partner of mine, back when I was a thief." Kuronue laughed again, and I saw him standing on the top of an unfinished structure arrogantly. My heart was being torn apart just by looking at him, and…I can't even describe how betrayal in its simplest form feels.

"He looks familiar…" I heard Hiei-sama say under his breath. My heart stopped. No. There was no way he saw Kuronue's resemblance to Silrowen. Please, Inari, no…

Later…

The details of the fight itself matter very little. Kurama and I went into the construction site itself, separated from any 'outside assistance' by the ridiculous amounts of silver mist. Kurama _wouldn't_ attack Kuronue. I don't think he could force himself to. Anyway…watching from the sidelines, I knew that if Kurama didn't act soon, he would die. But at the same time…I didn't know what to do. I swore my life to Kuronue when we promised to be together for eternity. But…Kurama, my elder brother and the only family I had ever known, was in deadly danger. My legs were shaking and I was too afraid to move. At one point during the fight, Kuronue glanced over at me with murderous indigo eyes and my heart stopped. If he attacked me…I would die. Of course, I knew his fighting style, strategies, and all that, but…I would never be able to attack him. _Never_. Fortunately for me, he didn't attack, and continued to fight my brother. Moments later, I sensed Kuronue's power level rising…This fight was going to end.

"K-Kura…" I couldn't speak. I was too afraid. The next thing I knew, Kuronue was using an aerial attack on Kurama. I saw his scythe glittering in the moonlight as he slashed downward at my one and only elder brother-

The very next second, everything froze.

I saw…memories. Memories of my old life flew through my head at supersonic speed.

_flashback_

_A few strands of pale green hair hang in my face as I watch Kuronue from my hiding place in a nearby tree. He's talking to my silver-haired brother…and he's snickering playfully, like they were making fun of each other. Suddenly, his indigo eyes dart over to me for a split second with a glance that says, 'I know you're there, kid. I'm not that easy to trick.' I act like I don't notice his glance…but my scarlet eyes watch the raven-haired bat youkai carefully. Watch him for reasons I don't even understand…_

_flashback_

"_Hey, Kuronue?" I ask, trying to keep my voice steady and trying to keep the rising crimson blush under control._

"_Yeah, kid?"_

"…_Why are you always looking at me like that?" One of his long, pointed ears twitches as a questioning expression arises in his eyes._

"_Like what?"_

"_Like…l-like…I don't know, just…why do you keep looking at me?" He smiles warmly and plays with a few strands of my hair._

" '_Cause you're cute, kid." He walks away to talk to Kurama, and I turn away. I turn away so he doesn't see my face turn a deep shade of crimson. _

_end flashbacks_

Kurama had stabbed Kuronue with an organic sword created from a plant he had doubtlessly been carrying. I heard a woman's voice scream and it took a moment for me to realize that I was the one screaming. Then, I heard Kurama's voice.

"You…you aren't Kuronue! Show me your true form!" He pushed the youkai I had originally believed to be Kuronue back, removing his sword. After a moment, that youkai shapeshifted into another form. I don't quite remember what he looked like; I was too busy seeing red. I was _ticked off_. Anyway, Kurama decimated this idiotic illusionist by summoning a forest of razor sharp bamboo trees, one of which narrowly missed stabbing me. Afterwards, my brother was tranquilly silent. Nearby, watching him behind some of the trees, I did the same. Then, I heard Hiei-sama nearby talking to my scarlet haired brother.

"So, even someone calm as you occasionally gets angry. Hn, that's…good to know." In a tone that positively radiated pain and suffering, Kurama replied:

"Not being…able to save Kuronue that day-"

"Kurama." Hiei-sama responded in a reassuring voice, "There is…no one…that does not carry scars on their heart. If there _were_ someone in the world like that, they would be a shallow soul." After he said this, Hiei-sama glanced at me…the exact same type of glance that Kuronue had given me hundreds of years before. My whole body froze, and I suddenly felt mildly sick. I couldn't take anything else tonight…I _couldn't_. So, I teleported home, leaving the end of the world to my significantly more powerful companions.

end of chapter forty-seven


	48. An Unexpected Encounter

Chapter 48: An Unexpected Encounter

As soon as I got home, I locked myself in my room and laid down on my bed, staring at the ceiling. With a soft sigh, I said under my breath, "…I'm happy…it wasn't really you, Kuronue…" Even though I knew…or I _thought_…he couldn't hear me, I still talked to myself like that every so often. Sighing again, but with a smirk on my face, I continued, "…I should've known, huh? You would never have hurt Kurama or myself. …Kuronue…I miss you so much…"

_/Well, kid…/_ I heard a voice I my head, a voice I found familiar…yet for some reason, my guard went up like I was ready for a fight… _/I missed you, too. /_

"Who in Inari's name…?" I said audibly.

_/What, you don't recognize my voice? It's me, kid…y'know, Kuronue. /_

"What! Y-you're not Kuronue!"

_/I'm not, huh? What makes you think that/_

"J-just shut up! I'm not going to fall for another trick!" Instinctively, I pressed my hands over my ears in a defensive motion.

_/Hmm? Oh, that. Well, there's not a whole hell of a lot I can say about that, kid. /_

"D-damn it…you can't be Kuronue…there's no way…"

_/Well, if I'm not Kuronue, then I'm afraid I don't know who the hell I am. / _That same voice laughed softly…a wonderfully familiar, playful sort of laugh…and I thought to myself, _/What if this really is Kuronue? What if, somehow, he's really talking to me…/_

"…Kuronue…?"

_/Yeah, kid./_

"Is it…is it really you…? Honestly?"

_/Is there any way I can effectively prove it to you.../ _he asked.

"…If you're really Kuronue…then why does that crimson pendant you always wore mean so much to you?"

_/You shouldn't ask questions that you yourself don't know the answers to, kid. /_ I, of course, hadn't the _slightest_ clue about why Kuronue's pendant had been so important to him, but that was irrelevant. His answer was, word-for-word, what I had been expecting. Then, I _knew_ I was, somehow, telepathically speaking to Kuronue. Or I had gone COMPLETELY insane. Take your pick.

"…Kuronue…I-"

_/Your stunned silence conveys your general message, kid./_

"More than you realize…" Yes, I thought, blissful insanity had finally arrived after sixteen long, torturous years.

end of chapter 48


	49. No Time For Misery

Chapter 49: No Time For Misery

A few nights later, after the world had been saved with little to no effort on the part of the Reikai Tantei, I found myself standing alone in a forest, enjoying the company of the plants around me.

"Naoko." My brother had walked up behind me. His voice reached my ears, but I didn't react at first.

"…What is it, Kurama?" I said flatly, not turning around.

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine."

"Naoko…" Kura-sama's voice was filled with emotions: pain, regret, whatever. At that moment, however, I really didn't care. At that moment, I had more than enough of my own pain to deal with. I felt that any sympathy for my brother would force my heart to break. Don't get me wrong, I love Kurama, but my thoughts were a little preoccupied.

"I'm. Fine." I said, stressing each word and hoping he'd take the hint that I wanted to be alone…alone with the voice in my head, and I don't mean Youko.

"Very well, sister. I merely came to tell you that I received a message from Yomi a few hours ago." _That_ got my attention. I turned around, shocked.

"_Yomi_! You mean…_Yomi_…!"

"Do we know many youkais by that name?" No, we didn't…and I knew that name meant trouble.

end of chapter forty-nine


	50. ‘We’re Going Back Home’

Chapter 50: 'We're Going Back Home'

Allow me to summarize why I was so worried in the previous chapter. Makai was, at the post- Ankoku Bujutsukai time period I am describing, comprised of three kingdoms. One was ruled over by Raizen, the 'bloodthirsty pacifist' as he was known in the demon plane. Yomi, a former bandit rival of Kurama's, ruled another kingdom. A third was ruled by…and my hands shake with anger merely thinking this cursed name…_Mukuro_. Now, Raizen was an ancestor of Yusuke Urameshi's. The reason he was called the 'bloodthirsty pacifist' was this: He, like most youkais was once exclusively carnivorous. That's the nice way of putting it. The blatant way to say it is: he devoured humans. However, he had fallen for a human woman, I believe her name was Kusushi. Basically, he swore never to eat another human again. Unfortunately, he was unable to change his carnivorous nature any more than a crocodile can eat a Caesar salad. So, he was slowly starving to death.

Which brings us to Yomi contacting Kurama.

According to Kura-sama, Yomi knew Raizen was close to death and there was going to be a massive power struggle for Raizen's soon-to-be 'available' third of the Makai. Seemed logical to me, knowing the anarchy that, overall, reigned supreme in Makai. As Kurama left me alone in the forest that night, I could tell something bad would happen soon. _Really_ bad.

Later…  
"Hiei-sama?" I had been searching for him for what seemed like hours.

"I'm right here, Naoko." Hearing his voice instantly made me feel a little better. I teleported onto the roof of Genkai's temple, right next to where he was standing.

"Hiei-sama," I started to speak quickly and felt like if I told him what Kurama told me, everything would be okay.

Was I ever wrong.

"Hiei-sama, Kurama just-"

"Got a message straight from Makai?"

"H-huh? How did you know…!"

"Because I received one from Mukuro." She was another Makai lord, and one I would eventually hate more than any other youkai I had ever met. He spoke like he didn't care, but I knew better.

"Are…you…"

"Going? Yeah." Well, it looked like I would be making a decision. Would I go to Makai, and if I did, with who? If I accompanied Kurama, I might somehow end up fighting against Hiei-sama. On the other hand, if I went with the crimson-eyed fire youkai beside me, I could possibly fight the only family I had ever known.

"…Hiei-sama?" He glanced at me with the same crimson eyes I had become so attached to.

"Yeah, foxgirl?"

"…I…I'm coming with you." He was silent for a moment.

"It'll be dangerous."

"I don't care. Please…let me come with you." Another short silence…

"…I'm sorry, little fox. I'm going alone."

_/…We'll just see about that, won't we/_ I thought to myself as he walked off.

end of chapter fifty


	51. Mukuro

Chapter 51: Mukuro

Since I don't like talking about Mukuro, I'll summarize this chapter quickly and get to the important part. Mukuro was, as previously stated, one of the lords of the Makai. She already had incredible power, but as I was soon to find out, she wanted more of an influence on Makai, in the form of a black haired fire demon. I followed Hiei-sama to the demon plane without him knowing. (Okay, so I was stalking him. So what? I had a valid reason.) I watched as he defeated endless numbers of Mukuro's followers, most likely sent to test his power. However…when he fought, I saw intensity…a determination in his eyes that had never existed before… His true power was finally showing. Anyway…after an inordinate time of Hiei-sama simply destroying all these lower-class demons, it was clear that he was injured and exhausted. Finally, there was no one around, so I came out of my hiding place and ran over to him.

"Hiei-sama…" He blinked and stared at me in shock.

"N-Naoko! What're you doing here! I told you I was-"

"I'm aware of what you said, but I couldn't just stay home. Now shut up and let me heal your injuries."

"…Naoko, if you're found here, Mukuro _will_ have you killed."

"I don't care." Before I could use my chakra to do anything, Hiei-sama stopped me.

"…I can hear someone coming. Get out of here."  
"I'm not leaving."

"Fine, just don't get caught!" I teleported back to my dark corner of the room, out of sight. Now, to make a long story short, Mukuro came in and Hiei-sama found himself fighting Shigure, the demon that gave him the Jagan eye. This fact surprised me, since I had always thought his third eye was natural. The fight ended abruptly…unfortunately, it apparently ended in the death of both participants. I was about to run out of my concealed place with no thought for my own safety when Youko controlled both of my hands. She slapped one over my mouth to stop me from screaming, and used the other to grab my shirt collar and pull me back into hiding.

_/Don't you dare let Mukuro find you. She'll kill you, and in case you don't know, that's my job. /_

_/I don't care! / _I shrieked telepathically._ /I don't care, Youko! If you want to, just kill me now! I don't care what happens to me-/ _A few different things happened at that second, all of which sort of 'collaborated' if you will. Youko, to shut me up, punched me and knocked me unconscious. A half-second before that, I had made a desperate attempt to contact Hiei-sama telepathically. Also, almost simultaneously, Mukuro somehow managed to access my crimson-eyed friend's memories. As a result of these three events, I was knocked out with an open telepathic link to Hiei-sama, and I was able to see what Mukuro was after…his memories.

end of chapter fifty-one


	52. From Imiko To Jaganshi

Chapter 52: From Imiko to Jaganshi

So, like I previously stated, I was able to watch Hiei-sama's memories. He was cast out of his homeland of the floating isle of the Koorime, because he was a half-breed. His mother, Hina, had fallen in love with a fire youkai, so Hiei-sama, the 'Imiko' had to be banished or he would supposedly destroy the island. All he had to remember his mother was a koorime teargem pendant. Anyway, after he was banished, Hiei-sama was brought up by a gang of bandits. As I heard directly from his memories, "I soon realized that my pendant attracted the attention of lower-class youkais that were all too easy to defeat. " In other words, he wore his hiruiseki in plain sight for the sole reason of getting into fights. After a while, the other bandits became afraid of Hiei-sama's power and whatever else. Therefore, the half koorime found himself abandoned again. If I revealed too much more, I might find myself in a little bit of trouble, so I'll shorten this a bit. Hiei-sama got a Jagan eye, courtesy of Shigure, as previously stated. With it, he found the floating isle of the Koorime with the intention of taking revenge on all of them. After discovering his mother had died and learning of the existence of his twin sister, Yukina, he left without taking revenge of any kind. Why? I believe he said something like, "I took one look at their cold, empty world and their soulless, icy eyes and realized something. I didn't need to kill them.They were already dead" The rest of his memories went by quickly, showing how he met my brother and then myself, how we rescued Yukina, and basically everything we had been through as Spirit Detectives. As I watched his memories of Yukina, I couldn't help but feel sorry for them…both of them. He would probably never tell her, and she would never know who her twin brother was… Maybe someday, though…just maybe he'd tell her.

end of chapter fifty-two


	53. The Makai Bujutsukai

Chapter 53: The Makai Bujutsukai

I woke up a while later, finding myself still in Mukuro's stronghold with no other signs of life nearby. Knowing no one had discovered my presence yet, I left quickly. Once I did this, I ran the entire way to a secluded, dark forest nearby and cried my heart out. As far as I knew, Hiei-sama was dead and I was alone again. The only two youkais I had ever loved both died right in front of me. Youko, however, was elated.

_/Hn. I never liked him. Finally, that stupid half-breed is out of the way, and-/_

_/SHUT UP/ _My telepathic scream was full of frustration. I was frustrated with her, with my own helplessness, with the whole situation…everything.

_/Don't you dare talk to me like that, little fox. You know what I can and will do to you./_

_/Ask me if I care./ _I said in a coldly sarcastic tone.

_/Silence, insubordinate girl./ _WHACK. I was knocked off the rock I was sitting on, blood trickling out of my mouth.

_/Go ahead. Kill me. I know you want to. I have nothing left to live for. Nothing./_

_/Not today, my hopelessly idiotic alter. Perhaps another time, when you least expect it./ _Silence. I sighed from my position on the ground and straightened up, leaning against the same rock. All that reached my ears was silence…the deafening silence of solitude.

_/Get used to it/ _my own thoughts told me_/because you'll be hearing this for the rest of your immortal life./_ At that, I suddenly broke down crying at my own pathetic, empty life.

Later…

I had fallen asleep in a tree after getting a headache from crying too hard. A telepathic voice in my head woke me up…and _fast_.

_/…Naoko/ _I bolted upright, nearly falling out of the tree.

_/Hiei-sama? Please tell me that's you…/_

_/Yeah, foxgirl, it's me. Are you alright? Where are you/_

_/I-I'm fine. I'm in this forest near Gandara./ _Gandara was the name of Yomi's territory.

_/Listen to me, okay? I want you to come to the western border of Mukuro's territory. I'm waiting for you there./_

_/O-okay/ _It wasn't too far, so I instantly jumped out of the tree I was in and started running. Shortly after, I was right where Hiei-sama had told me he was waiting, but I didn't see him. After a second, I heard a familiar voice behind me.

"Hey, foxgirl." I spun around and saw the one and only master of the black flame, Jaganshi Hiei-sama, fully healed and standing right in front of me.

"Hiei-sama…" I said in disbelief. "Hiei-sama…I…I…you're…" He waited patiently for my reaction, which came after a moment or two. I half jumped on him, throwing my arms around his shoulders.

"N-Naoko-!"

"I'm so happy you're alright…you have no idea…"

"Y-yeah, I kinda do. Calm down, Naoko, everything's fine." I took a deep breath to stop myself from crying and let go of him. "Listen, okay? There's going to be a tournament after Raizen dies to decide who controls his part of the Makai."

"And…?"

"And Kurama's going to be working for Yomi during this tournament. Which means…"

"…you'll be working for Mukuro."

"I have no choice. I owe her."

"For what?" Then, I noticed it…the hiruiseki pendant from Hiei-sama's memories was around his neck.

"I lost this a long time ago. Mukuro gave it back to me. That's all."

"…Fine. Just….just be careful, okay?"

"I promise." As he walked away, I had a sneaking suspicion I knew Mukuro's intentions. I went back to the forest I had been in earlier, sat in a tree, and started thinking. Mukuro wanted to rule Raizen's part of Makai in addition to her own, correct? Controlling two thirds of the most volatile place in the universe was not an easy task. So, I thought, she would need someone powerful in addition to herself…someone equal to, if not stronger, than her…someone like my Jaganshi Hiei-sama. Suddenly, it hit me. Mukuro had been acting strangely before she looked into Hiei-sama's memories…very strangely, in fact. And since she had his hiruiseki, why would she give something that valuable to him so easily? Hiei-sama had no idea it was in her possession, so Mukuro could've hidden it and no one would've known. Why, then? The answer was obvious, yet so very subtle. Either Mukuro wanted to control Hiei-sama somehow…or she had fallen for him.

Instantly, I felt sick.

end of chapter fifty-two


	54. Betrayal and Redemption

Chapter 54: Betrayal and Redemption

The Makai Bujutsukai involved most every demon I knew: Silrowen, Jin, Touya, Shishiwakamaru, Suzuka, Urameshi, Hiei-sama, Kurama…heck, _I_ was even in it. None of that really mattered though; none of us won and I forget who actually did. The more pressing issue was that of Hiei-sama and Mukuro. They were constantly together, and whenever I was near Hiei-sama in her presence, she wouldn't stop staring at me with ice-cold cobalt eyes. I felt inferior…like a little girl next to this unstoppable lord of the Makai. Every time I saw the two of them together, I couldn't help but feel like I was losing my beloved fire youkai. Finally, the tournament ended, and we were getting ready to go home. I knew, I just _knew_ Hiei-sama would stay in the Makai with her, and it was tearing my heart into pieces. I couldn't blame him, however. She was powerful, influential, smart…my polar opposite. As Kurama, Yusuke, and I were about to leave, I found myself standing in front of Hiei-sama for what I figured would be the last time.

"W-well…uh…" Words failed me and there was a phantom obstruction in my throat as I fought not to cry. Forcing a smile, I pretended to be happy for him. Silently, his crimson eyes watched me without emotion as if waiting for me to finish speaking. My arms crossed in an attempt to seem indifferent, I was aware of my voice working past that stupid fake smile. "…well, uh…I…" I knew I had to select my words carefully, since it was very likely they would be the last I would ever say to him. "Mukuro's…um…really…great." And the award for 'Biggest Lie In All The Demon Plane' goes to Naoko Youko. "The two of you should get along really well." Still he was silent, eyes of bloodred ice locked on me. "I-I'm happy for you, Hiei-sama. I guess…I'll go home now. I h-hope I see you again…" With those words forced out of my throat, I turned around and began to walk off without waiting for a reply. Thoughts raced through my mind swiftly, all the things I would've said to him if I could have spoken correctly. _/Damn it…I love you, Hiei-sama…/ _I thought to myself. _/I love you…I don't want to be alone again…/_

_/As I told you during the Ankoku Bujutsukai/ _Youko cut in with her usual cold, calm tone, _/if you start crying, I will kill you. /_

_/I. Don't. Care. Youko. Go ahead and kill me, because I don't want to live/ _My telepathic voice was full of the pain I felt but refused to show. _/I want to die! Go ahead and kill me, I-/_

_/SHUT UP! I will not kill you now, and I absolutely will not kill you because you told me to! When you die by my hands, I will make sure you are unwilling and screaming in pain, but I will not kill you like this/ _She fell silent and I kept walking, showing no external sign of my internal conflict except for the crystalline tears slightly distorting my vision. Suddenly, I felt Hiei-sama's hand grab my wrist and force me to turn around.

"Naoko…wait."

"What!" I snapped, my voice cracking. "If you're going to leave me alone, just leave so I can get on with my life!" My shoulders shook involuntarily and my eyes drifted to an area of the ground beside me.

"Listen, foxgirl…right now, what do you want more than anything?" His voice was calm and gentle, and I closed my eyes as a sharp pain burned through my heart.

"I…I want you to be happy, Hiei-sama…" A momentary silence passed between us.

"You misunderstand my question, little fox." I opened my eyes as Hiei-sama placed his hand under my chin and gently forced me to look at him. "What I meant was: What do you want at this moment? At this very second in time, what do you want so badly that you would forsake everything else?"

"…I…w-want…I want you to come back with me…I want to go back to the human realm with you…but if you don't want to go back, I underst-" He moved his hand lightly over my mouth to silence me.

"I know you do. Why would you give up your one most heartfelt wish like that?" Shaking, I held one of his hands in both of mine.

"Because…if this is what you really want, I d-didn't want to try to convince you otherwise…"

"Naoko…why?" Hiei-sama slowly pulled his hand away, bloodred eyes calm and compassionate. "Why do you always act like this? It's like you think I'm better than you."

"But you're-"

"Don't say it." he interrupted.

"Hiei-sama…I…"

"Please, Naoko…stop calling me that. I'm not your superior in any sense of the word." Finally, I found my voice and unleashed one of the most intense monologues I have ever heard myself speak.

"…I won't stop calling you that. You…you don't understand. No one is my 'superior.' I answer to no one and I make my own damn rules. No one dominates my life, not even Kurama, and you're no different. I only use that honorific with your name because I love you and that is the only way I can even attempt to show how much I respect you!" Hiei-sama stared at me for a moment, apparently stunned. Rightfully so, because I _felt_ the cold fire blazing in my eyes, and I _knew_ how serious I must have looked. "Now…if you're going to go back to Mukuro, then go." I turned around, my heart completely shattering. It was over…it was all over…

"…Naoko." Hesitantly, I turned back to look at him for what I figured would be the last time. The black haired youkai's hands latched onto my shoulders tightly as he pulled me close and kissed me. _/St-stupid romantic bastard…/ _my stunned, shocked mind thought as I closed my eyes and returned it. When we broke it off, I stared at him in shock.

"I never said I was leaving, foxgirl."

"But you…and I thought…Mukuro…?"

"Mukuro wanted me to stay, that's true, but I told her, in no uncertain terms, to go to hell and leave me alone. I'm coming back to the Ningenkai with you." We were both silent as the realization slowly sunk into my mind. He wasn't leaving…we were going home…he wasn't leaving…

"Hiei-sama…"

"Yes, Naoko?" Words failed me again, and I couldn't express the particular emotions going through my head. My vision was blurred slightly by lingering tears and a half-smile worked its way across my face. I tried to speak, but found I had completely lost the ability.

"I…I…" Smiling, Hiei-sama wrapped his arms around my shoulders and held me in a protective embrace.

"It's okay," he whispered in my ear, "let's just go home…"

end of chapter 54


	55. Hell's Scorpion

Chapter 55: Hell's Scorpion

It had only been a few weeks since the Makai Bujutsukai, and I was in the forest outside Genkai's temple, training with a new weapon…Kuronue's scythe. The illusionist youkai had, in fact, been using Kuronue's _actual_ scythe. All anger at his impudence aside, once he was defeated, I took my friend's shimmering silver weapon and decided to teach myself how to fight with it. So, that's what I was doing on this particular day. Out of nowhere, I felt something hit me on the back of my head and everything went black. Since I have very little recollection of the events that followed, I'm going to turn this over to Hiei-sama yet again. _…What, again? Fine. I had been leaning on a tree not far from Naoko and Kurama's house, when Kurama walked over with mild injuries, like he had just been in a fight. I asked him what happened, since I knew it wasn't easy to hurt Kurama._

"_It's…I'm not even sure…I-it was some black haired kitsune…h-he told me he was going to kill Naoko. I-I think she's in Makai. I thought if anyone could find her, it was you."_

"_What!" I half yelled, worried for Naoko's safety. "What do you mean, you think she's in Makai!" _

"_Look, it wasn't my choice. I tried to stop him, but…he's way too powerful."_

"_Kurama…" I really wanted to say something really mean, but I stopped myself. "Where in Makai do you 'think' she is?" I thought I saw a glimmer of amber in his leaf green eyes as he snapped,_

"_You're the one with the third eye, why don't you tell me?" I glared angrily at him, but I knew he was right. He had come to me in search of assistance, which is not something a fox like him does easily. So, I started to look for her with my Jagan, which proved incredibly difficult, especially under the ice-cold watch of an overprotective brother's emerald eyes._

"_Damn it! Someone's blocking my Jagan! How the hell are we going to find her now!"_

"_I don't know…" Kurama said softly. In that second, I felt unmistakable rage directed towards that kitsune. In an instant, I grabbed his shirt collar, Makai fire blazing in my eyes._

"_Kurama, you baka kitsune! Try thinking for once!" With one swift, almost graceful motion, he slapped my hand away, speaking calmly but with a trace of anger in his glittering green eyes._

"_What, do you think I'm not worried about her? She's my little sister, for Inari's sake. I trusted you enough to find her, Hiei, but I don't know everything."_

"_Neither do I!" I snapped, then turned away and started walking. "If you don't know, then you're no good to me right now._

"_Fine," he said coldly. "Just fine." I managed to trace Naoko's energy pattern to a clearing in the middle of a dark forest in Makai. There, I realized the trail I had been following stopped abruptly. A black haired kitsune was leaning on a nearby tree, looking rather impatient. _

"_Who the hell are you and what do you want?" I snapped. He smirked, watching me with eyes of black ice._

"_My name is Sasori Shinomori."_

"_Well…what do you want?"_

"_I want to be the greatest kitsune bandit in Makai. To do so, I realized I had to kill a couple demons. My plan was to kill the little girl with the green hair and then the legendary Youko Kurama, but I realized something would stand in my way…you." I knew my eyes and voice were cold and I snapped,_

"_Yeah. Do you have any clue who you're messing with?"_

"_Of course I do. You're Jaganshi Hiei. I know, and that's why I took the liberty of acquiring someone to fight in my place."_

"_Oh? You don't fight your own battles." I said angrily. "You get some idiotic underling to fight for you."_

"_Not quite." Sasori said in a cold voice, still smirking. "You see, Jaganshi Hiei, among my many powers, I possess…" As he spoke, Naoko calmly walked out of the forest beside us and stood in front of Sasori, staring at me with blank, expressionless cinnamon eyes, "…mind control." That son of a…He dared to reduce Naoko to nothing more than a mindless marionette…! I couldn't believe it._

"_N-Naoko…no…" My mind raced, trying in vain to figure out what to do in order to snap her out of this trance. Sasori stepped back a little, creating a nearly indestructible shield of energy around him…probably so I wouldn't be able to kill him. Naoko pulled a black rose from her hair and created her Rose Whip, which trailed to the floor, waiting to strike. Her treasured crystal pendant, the source of the vast majority of her power, was glowing black as she continued to stare at me with no emotion in her eyes._

"_Naoko…wait, think about what you're doing!" This couldn't be happening. She was actually getting ready to attack me, and as I realized this, I realized something else:_

_I would not be able to fight back, even in self-defense. Then, I heard Sasori's cold, confident voice say in an arrogant tone:_

"_She no longer has a will of her own. I completely control her. If you wish to survive, I suggest you not hold back."_

_I openly admit now, I was scared. Scared of hurting Naoko…I was afraid I would kill her if I attacked at all, and forget about attacking with all my strength. Panicking, I cried out,_

"_No…I w-won't! Fight me yourself!"_

"_And if I say no? Has the feared master of the _jaou ensatsu ken_ lost his nerve?" He was so calm and collected…I hated him._

"_No. But I'm _not_ fighting a girl. Especially one that's weaker than me."_

"_How do you know she's weaker than you?" the fox continued in the same calm voice._

"_I just do."_

"_Well, why don't you find out for sure? She'll fight you anyway." Quickly, I tried to control my panicking mind, as I thought to myself: _/Naoko, please wake up. I-I don't want to hurt you…Please…/ _All I felt was despair, fear, and helplessness. I was helpless to save her at this point. There was absolutely nothing I could do…but I had to try, damn it! For the sake of our relationship and for the sake of everyone that cared about Naoko, I had to save her!_

"_Naoko…l-last chance…SNAP OUT OF IT!" I quickly drew my silver katana, an outward threat with no conviction behind it._

"_Rose Whiplash!" she cried, her thorned whip cracking thousands of times in the space of two seconds with very little warning. Moving quickly, I barely managed to get out of the way, continuing my desperate attempts to awaken her._

"_Naoko! Come on, Naoko…" She cracked the whip at me once more and spoke in a voice devoid of any emotion:_

"_Fight back or die." Naoko…my Naoko…had just threatened my life. Still…I would rather die than hurt her._

"_I won't fight you." I felt like everything I had ever cared about in my life was being shattered right in front of me as I dropped my sword, losing all hope. _

"_Rose Whiplash!" she cried again. I avoided it again…or tried to. A sharp pain cut into my right arm, telling me I had just missed a near-fatal strike. _

"_Naoko…please…" _

"_Shut up!" she yelled, still in that same voice. "Mateki Sandan Shya!" There was a high pitched whistle, and a small blizzard of ice flew from her hand. I quickly dodged the technique I had watched her steal from Touya during the Ankoku Bujutsukai, desperately screaming for the kitsune I knew was still inside that cold, emotionless shell._

"_NAOKO! I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME!" I sent her a telepathic message, trying to awaken her mind from whatever spell Sasori had used. _/Naoko, please! Wake up… I love you and I don't want to hurt you/ _Laughing, Sasori said, _

"_She can't hear your pathetic telepathic messages." A split second later, Naoko started twirling her whip overhead._

"_Rose Whip Thorn Wh-"_

"_Naoko…I'm sorry! Please forgive me!" I teleported over and punched her in the stomach, trying to incapacitate her. Her whip stopped twirling and trailed to the ground from her hand. Something wasn't right here… Suddenly, her long fingered hand grabbed my white scarf as she gave me the most evil smirk I have ever seen. Very softly, she whispered…_

"_Rose Whiplash." _

"_Wh-" The very next second, I felt the full force of Naoko's favored attack as it cut across my skin like a thousand swift razorblades. Despite my attempts to restrain it, a scream of pain escaped my throat. Physical? Like you wouldn't believe. Emotional? Even worse. She stepped back, letting me recover from that attack. I straightened up and stared at Naoko for a second or two. At that moment, I made a decision. _

_I could not and would not let this continue._

_My body seemed to act on its own as I walked forward, my eyes locked on Naoko. For a millisecond, I thought I saw a flicker of panic in her eyes as she fired Touya's attack again. I raised my arm to block it--that's right, block, not intercept—and I felt frigid icicles stab with white-hot pain. Ironic, huh? Then, I know I saw a tiny flicker of panic in Naoko's eyes as she used Rose Whiplash again. I didn't resist, just took her attack, knowing it would leave me badly injured. I was right. Suddenly, I teleported right in front of Naoko, grabbed her shoulders tightly with both hands, pulled her close, and kissed her. I realized I was crying as I broke it off and said quietly, "Naoko…I-I love you." All my strength was basically gone, and if this didn't work…I would die. However…as I looked right into her eyes, I saw actual emotion…like she was fighting to break Sasori's control. Before anything else could happen, however, the black haired fox said coldly:_

"_This isn't fun anymore." He snapped his fingers, and suddenly Naoko's shoulders stiffened under my hands. With a rush of shock, I realized…she had stopped breathing. A split second later, Naoko collapsed like a puppet whose strings had suddenly been cut._

"_N-Naoko!" I cried out, shocked, "Naoko…get up!" I knelt down beside the green haired earth youkai, who remained still, and gently took her wrist, checking for any sign of life. _

…_Nothing. She was completely still and lifeless._

"_Naoko! …NAOKO!" _/I feel like…my heart has been ripped apart…/_ It was at that moment I lost control. _/…It has…all because of this psychopath! I swear to you, Naoko, I will make him pay for what he's done to you…/

end of chapter fifty-five


	56. Recovery and Resolution

Chapter 56: Recovery and Resolution

_I think it's safe to say I was more than a little angry. I wanted her back…all I could think about was everything we had been through together and how much I cared about her… I slowly stood up, knowing that my eyes must have shown how badly I wanted to kill this kitsune. Completely silent, I started to advance on Sasori. His glittering black eyes revealed that he knew he had made a fatal mistake in hurting Naoko. All I knew was that I was going to show him just how fatal. Makai flames erupted all around me as I continued to walk towards the black-haired fox. My spirit energy was immeasurable as the air around me burned. My anger had turned me into a living inferno, and I intended to use this power for one purpose. I wanted Sasori dead, and I wanted his death done by my own hands. Sasori took one step back and accidentally lost his concentration, dropping the energy shield. That was precisely what I had been waiting for. Summoning every emotion I had ever withheld in my life, I threw it all into one attack._

"_JAOU…ENSATSU…KOKURYUUHA!" Once I fired the black dragon, a huge thorned vine shot out of the ground, merging with the dragon. In a split second, Sasori was destroyed by the Dragon of the Black Rose Flame. However, I was too busy enjoying his anguished scream to realize the significance of that attack. After a moment, however, it finally hit me. Quickly, I turned around and looked at Naoko as her chakra crystal changed color from black to its usual amber._

"_Naoko!" I ran over and carefully held her still, lifeless form close to my heart. "Naoko! Please… Tell me you're okay… Please, just say anything. Tell me you're alright…" My sight blurred slightly, and I realized I was crying again. There was a momentary silence, and then…I could have sworn I heard Naoko's heart beating again. Slowly, she opened her beautiful cinnamon colored eyes halfway._

"…_Hiei-sama…?"she whispered softly, using the honorific I loved hearing so much._

"_Naoko!" She was alive…I was so happy, I didn't even care that I was crying harder. "Y-you're alive…!" As I held her close, I was beginning to become aware of how badly I was injured._

"_Hi, Hiei-sama…" she said in a weak voice, "…sorry I hurt you…"_

"_No…you-" My voice cracked as I tried to stop crying. "You didn't…" I finished in a whispered tone. Naoko straightened up and her crystal glowed as she healed my injuries. "I'm fine, Naoko. As long as you're alright…I'm…fine…" I trailed off suddenly, passing out._

Later:

I found myself crying my eyes out on the roof of Genkai's temple. Why, you may ask? I was scared. Most of the fear was really residual shock, and the rest of it was fear that Hiei-sama would hate me for what I had done to him. Then, I heard his voice from the ground in front of the temple.

"Hey… Why are you crying? Did somebody die?" he asked jokingly, trying to make me feel better. I just looked away, silent.

"Naoko." In a swift motion, he jumped onto the roof beside me and sat down. "Come on…"

"I'm sorry. Don't tell me not to apologize, because I have to. I almost killed you…" My voice and hands were shaking.

Hiei-sama sighed quietly and looked at me.

"It wasn't your fault, Naoko. It was Sasori. Besides, I'm fine."

"Hiei-sama…" I threw my arms around him and rested my head on his shoulder. "I was so scared…I could see what was happening, but I couldn't stop myself…" I felt his arms gently wrap around my shoulders.

"And that must have been terrible, but it was just as hard on me as it was you. Besides, something good came out of this." I looked at him in surprise.

"What's that, Hiei-sama? What could possibly have been good about this?"

"Well…" The fire youkai held me closer, continuing softly, "I realized how much you _truly_ mean to me." I just smiled.

"Hey…thank you…f-for not hurting me."

"Oh! That's not true." Hiei-sama let go of me. "I hit you in the stomach trying to knock you out. Are you okay?" His concerned crimson eyes watched me carefully.

"I'm fine, don't worry. I'm not made of glass, you know." To be honest, I was flattered that he was so worried. Moving closer, I leaned on his shoulder. Resting his head against mine, he replied softly,

"I know. I was just worried…"

"Well…I was worried about you, too."

"Me?" Hiei-sama looked at me with a questioning expression. "Who do you think you're talking about, Urameshi? Or even worse, that idiot Kuwabara?" He smirked and I laughed softly.

"You're right. I'm sorry." Laughing, he replied,

"You should be. Now come on, let's go. I'm hungry."

"Same here." We both stood up. "Come on, let's get sushi."

"How about I make something? I'm not letting you pay for it."

"Oh, yes you are." I said with a smirk.

"Not a chance, foxgirl. If you give me a minute, I'll take something from Kuwabara." Pretending to be offended, I crossed my arms and said,

"If anyone's stealing from that idiot, it'll be me. _I'm_ the fox bandit here." Once I said that, I silently jumped down from the roof, sneaking up on the aforementioned idiot.

end of chapter fifty-six


	57. Crazy Like A Fox…

Chapter 57: Crazy Like A Fox…

What happened the night after that…fully convinced me that I had lost my mind. I was in my room in Kurama's house ((he had managed to convince Shiori that the guest room was haunted, and as long as I was really quiet, she'd never catch me…)) So there I was, lying on my bed and staring at the ceiling, alone…when I heard Kuronue's voice again.  
_/Hey, kid. What's going on/ _Casually, like stuff like this happened every day, I replied,  
_/Nothing much, really…/_

_/That sure doesn't sound like 'nothing', kid. /_

_/Well…no, forget it. / _I could just imagine him standing next to me. He would have been leaning on the wall, arms crossed and tapping his foot impatiently, waiting for me to inevitably cave and talk to him.  
He just plain knew me too damn well. _/…Kuronue…would you hate me if I told you I fell in love with someone else/_

There was a very short silence, almost like he was either surprised I asked or thinking.  
_/Of course I wouldn't. / _I could tell from the tone of his voice he had been caught off guard by my question._  
/…Are…are you sure…/  
/Don't be an idiot, kid. Why would I hate you for something stupid like that/ _I had to stop myself from laughing out loud.  
_/Because…I know how jealous you can get…/ _There was another silence, followed by Kuronue's voice in my head…cracking up laughing. _/Wh-what the hell's so funny/  
/Me…jealous of that spiky haired midget! Naoko, you have reached a new _level_ of paranoia/  
/Wh…huh? Just what is that supposed to mean/  
/You heard me, foxgirl. I'm saying you are worrying **way** too much about what I'll think, and not worrying enough about what you want. / _Then followed a total silence.  
"What I want…" I repeated under my breath, remembering what Hiei-sama said to me after the Makai Bujutsukai. "… Yeah…I'm completely insane." I finished with a sigh, falling asleep not long after.

end of chapter fifty-seven


	58. Three Artifacts All Over Again

Chapter 58: Three Artifacts All Over Again?  
I was walking in the forest around Genkai's temple, enjoying the peace and quiet serenity of the wind blowing gently past me. Out of nowhere, I heard a familiar voice behind me, breaking the silence and surprising the heck out of me.  
"Good afternoon, foxgirl."

"Wh-!" I cried in surprise, turning around. Hiei-sama had snuck up on me, standing not four feet behind me. "Oh, hi. You scared me…"  
"Clearly. You're a little jumpy, aren't you?" he said with a playful smirk.  
"Yeah, kinda. So what're you doing here, Hiei-sama?"  
"I was about to ask you the same question." He said without a flicker of emotion in his eyes.  
"To be honest, I…wanted to see you." I felt slight warmth rising in my face and I knew I was starting to blush.

"Oh? Why?" he responded like he didn't care.

"Because…I j-just…felt alone, I guess."

"Oh…and you prefer my company to that of your brother's? Or anyone else's, for that matter?"

"Yeah." I answered with a smile. "As a matter of fact, I do…" He smirked. "I was wondering if you'd be interested in going out for lunch, or something."

"I'd like that." Hiei-sama answered with a sincere smile. We started walking together, silent. I don't quite recall where we were going… After a few moments of silence, I looked at him and smiled. I must have been blushing still, because he smiled back and said,

"You're cute when you blush." I looked at the ground, my face steadily turning a brighter shade of scarlet.  
"Y-you think so…?" I stammered, slightly embarrassed.  
"I know so. You're so beautiful, Naoko…" For some reason, my words died in my throat and I didn't know what to say. My face bright red, I managed to say,

"Th-thanks…"

"You don't have to thank me, Naoko. I'm just telling the truth." Hiei-sama answered, smiling again.

"I-if you say so, Hiei-sama…" We were both silent after that until a few minutes later…Inexplicably, Hiei-sama stopped walking. As I looked over at him, I found he was staring off into space, looking slightly worried.

"…What's wrong, Hiei-sama?" I asked, slightly confused.

"Urameshi's looking for me…and not for help with something…" This all seemed way too confusing…

"What?" Hiei-sama still had that overall worried look.

"I think he thinks I stole something…I'm not sure…" This both a)seemed really sudden and b)was starting to scare me a little.

"What are you talking about?"

"Damn it…" he said under his breath. "We have to leave…and now." I quickly tried to straighten out my thoughts.

"Alright." He suddenly grabbed my hand and we ran off together, narrowly avoiding Urameshi. Once we finally stopped, miles from where we had been seconds before, I asked:

"I'm confused, Hiei-sama. What in Inari's name is going on?" He glanced around to make sure Urameshi was nowhere nearby, then responded in a calm voice,

"A misunderstanding, that's all… Look, if you're seen with me again, you might get hurt. Go back to your brother's house. I'll find you later…" He turned and started to walk away.

"N-no, wait!" This was all happening really fast, and I was starting to get worried. My hand shot out and grabbed his wrist, stopping him. "Don't leave…"

"Naoko," he snapped, "now is not the time for this!" He put his and on my shoulder reassuringly. I wasn't exactly reassured. "I'm not leaving for good, just to get away from Urameshi…Listen, he thinks I stole something that I didn't." I couldn't believe it. He honestly thought I would just let him walk away?

"Hiei-sama…I'm coming with you and you can't stop me."

"I don't want you to get hurt because of me!" That kind of made me angry, and I tried to keep my voice from showing that as I spoke.

"I can adequately defend myself, and you know that. I'm not as helpless as some people think I am."

"Naoko…" He sounded exasperated as he spoke. "I know that, but Urameshi defeated me once and he could do it again. I don't want him to hurt you if this comes to a fight." By that point, Youko had heard enough of Hiei-sama underestimating me…well, technically us…and her anger rose to the surface, affecting me as well. Suddenly, I heard myself snap viciously,

"Inari damn it, you just don't get it! Urameshi Yusuke is _nothing_ compared to my power, and I need _someone_ to understand that! I thought if anyone realized that, it would be you, but I guess I was wrong!" I was so frustrated, I didn't sense Yusuke catching up to us. Hiei-sama, however, snapped right back:

"Fine, you can come with me! I know you're not weak and he's nothing compared to you, but _I'm_ the one he wants!" He suddenly grabbed my hand and teleported. I couldn't help but think to myself, _You don't really believe that…no one does. I'll make you see how much stronger I am. I'll make everyone see it._ We had stopped in the middle of a forest and he looked at me for a moment like he had heard my thoughts.

"We should be safe here for a while…" He didn't look very happy, to say the least. I just glared at him coldly, and he sighed hesitantly. "I'm…sorry…I shouldn't have fought with you back there, especially not about your power…" I was still so upset…I'm not sure why, it might have been partly Youko's anger and the severe injury I had taken to my own pride. A cold, almost unfamiliar voice escaped my throat as I answered,

"Whatever you think, Hiei-_sama_." Sarcasm positively radiated from that honorific.

"I mean it, Naoko! I just worry about you!" Not wanting to look at him, I turned away.

"…You have absolutely no faith in my ability as a fighter, am I correct?"

"You know I've lost my faith in most people, Naoko! I was just worried, so forgive me if I care about you!"

"Whatever." My mind was screaming, _/Shut up, stupid! He's trying to apologize, you half-wit fox/ _I wanted to forgive him, but my wounded pride refused to let me. I lost my chance to even attempt to forgive him as he turned away and said to me,

"I'm out of here…_maybe_ I'll come back soon…"

"Fine with me," I replied with a biting coldness in my voice. "I'm going to find Yusuke, since I'm clearly the only one here with enough courage to do so." I had only just started to walk away when I heard Hiei-sama's extremely intense, irate voice.

"I'm _not_ afraid! Do you want to know _why_ he's coming after me?" I turned around again to face him, a disinterested tone to my voice.

"Why?" With one swift motion, he unsheathed a familiar sword and dropped it. The blade landed right in front of me, and as I stared, I recognized it.

The Shadow Sword.

In my total state of shock, I heard Hiei-sama talking from what seemed like miles away.

"I don't know how it came to be in my possession. I just woke up and found it there. Unfortunately for me, Urameshi was the first one I ran into. Everyone thinks I stole it."

"…Hiei-sama…" I could hardly speak. Hiei-sama turned away and said,

"I can't return until I find out what happened."

"W-wait!" I said quickly. Kitsunes like myself have powers over illusions and slight powers over people's memories. "I could alter Urameshi's memories…and make him think I stole it. I don't have the powers to erase his memories completely, so that's the best I can do." Hiei-sama turned around and sighed.

"I can't. When I said everyone thinks I stole it, I meant everyone. Koenma, Kuwabara…even your brother." For a moment, I thought I saw a flicker of nervousness in his crimson eyes. "I don't know what to do, Naoko…" I was determined to do what little I could to help.

"I'll change all their memories, then! I should be powerful enough to make then believe a false truth…"

"No…Naoko, it's more than that."

"What is it, Hiei-sama…?"

"Wh-when I woke up, I found myself at Urameshi's girlfriend's house with the Shadow Sword, like I was going to attack her…Naoko…th-this might sound insane, but I think I was sleepwalking or I lost control while I was asleep or something…" I blinked once or twice, surprised. Losing control… from what he was saying, Hiei-sama had lived through my worst fear. Silent, I walked over and wrapped my arms around his shoulders.

"Naoko… I thought you were upset?"

"No…I'm sorry. I just…got a little annoyed, that's all. Listen, I…I want to change their memories. I'll make them all believe I stole it."

"No! I _won't_ let you! Naoko, you and I both already stole an artifact once; do you have _any_ idea what the punishment would be!" Oh, yes, I did. Stealing the three artifacts was a capital offense, and we had already gotten off light once. A second offense would equal eternity in the darkest Reikai jail, which some bandits had rumored to be a thousand times worse than death. "I know we can fix this without being caught." That sounded outright ridiculous.

"No, we can't. Hiei-sama, I'm fully aware of the consequence, but I'm not going to back down. Don't you know that I would do anything and risk everything for you?"

"I won't let you do this, Naoko! There _has_ to be another way."

"I'd like to see you come up with something."

"I'm not letting you take responsibility for what I did. I'll think of something."

"Hiei-sama…"

"What is it?" he replied, snapping out of his thoughts.

"Urameshi's going to be here momentarily. Listen to me, okay? Go straight to Koenma and give him the sword. I'll distract Urameshi for the moment."

"Naoko, are you sure that'll work?"

"Trust me. Just leave." I hated myself at that moment, because of what I was planning to do…

"…Thanks, Naoko." He turned around and ran off.

"…I'm so sorry, Hiei-sama." I said under my breath.

end of chapter 58


	59. On The Wings Of A Fallen Angel

Chapter 59: On The Wings Of A Fallen Angel

I knew what I was doing would cause Hiei-sama to hate me for the rest of our lives, but I felt I had to do it. My crystal glowed with a white light as I mumbled an incantation under my breath. It was a difficult spell, to be sure, and one I had never actually used. In essence, it would alter the memories of all the people who thought Hiei-sama had stolen the Shadow Sword. Alter them…to make them think _I_ stole it. It was the best I could do, with my limited powers. As I stated previously, I knew the penalty for a second offense would equal eternity in the darkest Reikai jail. Kuronue had once told me the rumors about those prisons, and that they were often compared to a slow, torturous death. But at that point, I didn't care. All I cared about was protecting Hiei-sama. As I was finishing the spell, Urameshi came out of nowhere and loudly demanded,

"Naoko, where the hell is Hiei?" At that moment, I said the last word of the incantation and a dazed look crossed Urameshi's eyes. He blinked once or twice and his dark brown eyes locked on me intensely. He held up one hand like he was about to fire his trademark Spirit Gun at me. "Hand over the sword, Naoko!" he snapped coldly.

_So,_ I thought, _this is the end of Naoko Youko's 'legacy', is it? I won't go quietly…_

"You want it, you'll have to fight me for it, Urameshi!" I shot back. In hindsight, I was being even more reckless than I had been casting the spell in the first place, but I was sick of being underestimated…by Hiei-sama, by Urameshi, even by my own brother…I would show them what I could do.

"This is your last warning! Just give me the sword and I'll make sure Koenma goes easy on you!" He was actually acting professional—_that_ was something different. I merely snickered to myself.

"Selfless as always, Urameshi. You're concerned about me…" At that point, black fire started to appear and form a thin circle around me. "…when the one you should worry about…is yourself!" At those last two words, I unfolded my black wings with a flash of Makai fire, taking a fighting stance. Urameshi stared at me in shock for a moment, his hand lowering an inch or so. I took advantage of his second of uncertainty to take Kuronue's scythe off my belt and throw it at him, the other end of the thin silver chain wrapped around my right hand and wrist. The part-demon Spirit Detective saw my attack and moved aside in time to avoid a fatal injury. I could see, however, that the silver blade had still drawn blood from a shallow cut on his shoulder.

"SPIRIT GUN!" he shouted. A bolt of Urameshi's pale blue aura raced at me, and I teleported out of its way, reappearing on the branch of a nearby tree.

"Too slow, Urameshi." I said in a quiet tone, smirking. He stepped back slightly, his guard raised. "Looks like you're in over your head." I darted forward, my Rose Whip in my left hand before he could blink. "Rose Whiplash!" My attack was a direct hit, and as I heard his cry of pain, I was reminded of the first time I met the detective…but this fight would _not_ have a similar ending. I refused to end the duration of my time living in the human realm by losing to anyone. I raised my scythe to attack again, but a voice cut through the air and stopped me in my tracks—Hiei-sama's voice.

"Naoko, what the _hell_ is going on here?"

end of chapter 59


	60. Sayonara

(Author's Note: It's back! My dear co-writer asked for more chapters for her birthday, so I forced my inspiration to come back in spite of the fact that we both seem to have lost the RP events this is derived from. Therefore, I had to improvise with my abhorrent memory in quite a few places...however, I believe it's mostly faithful to what originally happened.)

Chapter 60: Sayonara

Hiei-sama hadn't trusted me…likely he had sensed what I intended to do. He had watched with his third eye…watched as I betrayed him. Now here we stood, I with my wings unfolded and smoldering black; Hiei-sama staring in angered disbelief at the fight he had interrupted. Urameshi, stunned silent, looked from Hiei-sama to myself and then back again.

"Hiei-sama…" I could barely manage to speak. A cold hand seemingly crept out of the darkness and gripped my heart—panic and guilt washed over me. "I'm…" Regardless, I forced myself to continue. "I'm…sorry…"

"You're _sorry_?" he snapped back at me. "I _trusted_ you, and then you went behind my back like this?!" Betrayal…I had betrayed the one I loved.

"_Traitor…you betrayed me and left me to die!"_

Kuronue's voice—no, the shapeshifter's—echoed in my head…why now? The cold hand around my heart was squeezing and crushing until I thought my heart might explode.

"I…w-wait, I…" I…what? Why had I been so foolish? In my heart of hearts, I knew even at the cost of my own life, I would protect the one I loved; I would not let the events of what was then seventeen years ago repeat themselves. I couldn't save Kuronue…but I would protect Hiei-sama, no matter what. The fire demon scowled darkly and snapped,

"Stupid fox. This is your own fault—sayonara." He walked off without another word. Sayonara, goodbye, farewell…so many ways to phrase it, but all the words meant heartbreak. Blankly, I stared at where Hiei-sama had been standing.

_Sayonara_.

It was as if my whole body was paralyzed, my mind a blank slate yet at the same time racing feverishly.

_Sayonara_.

The day after the Dark Tournament ended had marked the day my dream came true…today marked the day I had shattered it with my own hands.

_Sayonara_.

Blinding pain shot through my heart…all I could think was that I was alone…all I could see was Kuronue's blood on my hands…and all I could hear was Youko's cruel laughter and that one word that solidified the fact that I was alone again.

Sayonara and farewell, happiness.

A branch cracked…suddenly, I was more aware then ever of where I was. Turning, I saw Urameshi Yusuke—he had taken a step towards me and snapped a twig underfoot. Something in my eyes must've startled him, because for a second, the detective hesitated.

"…we gave it back." I managed to say, practically in a daze. "The sword. Gave it back." Urameshi sighed, looking more annoyed than anything.

"Look, if that's the case, I guess I'll just tell Koenma this is one of those 'no harm, no foul' kind of things. He'll probably let you off eas—"

"Kill me." The words sounded foreign, as if I hadn't even spoken them, and left a strangely bitter taste in my mouth. Urameshi blinked once or twice, clearly caught off guard.

"Wait, huh?"

"I told you to kill me." The cold edge to my voice frightened me—I had to convince myself that it was indeed I and not Youko speaking. "Do it and do it _now_. I'm sick and tired of living like this, Urameshi…so kill me." It was as if something in my mind had finally snapped. At that point, I was too much of a coward to do even the most gutless of acts in taking my own life; like the most honorless coward, I had lowered myself to beg someone to end my life for me. "Please, Urameshi…please just kill me." Almost casually, the detective shrugged it off.

"Sorry, Naoko. Can't do that…your brother'd kill me. And to be honest…if you really lied to Hiei or betrayed him or whatever you did…you might deserve worse than death." It's rare even now to see a cold look in Urameshi's eyes…but I'm certain he had one then, and I can hardly blame him. Regardless, I would not give him the satisfaction of knowing he was right—instead, I simply turned and ran in the direction of home.

end of chapter sixty


	61. Second Chances Are Hard to Come By

Chapter 61: Second Chances Are Hard to Come By

I found myself curled up on my bed in Kurama's house, alone in the dark…entire body wracked with a pain far worse than anything physical. I felt completely lost…what was I supposed to do now? If Kuronue was here…he'd know what to do. He'd probably be on Hiei-sama's side—I was the one that was wrong, after all. I felt as if a huge weight pinned me down and trapped me…I couldn't escape the trouble I had gotten myself into so stupidly. Slowly, I sat up and ran a hand through my hair; I knew I needed help. My eyes drifted to my cellphone on the nightstand. In that moment, it seemed almost as if it was my only resort, my last lifeline to pull me from the deep, dark hole I was trapped in. Almost in a daze, I picked it up and dialed the only number that came to mind—really, the only one I knew aside from Kurama's.

It rang once…twice…halfway through the third dull tone in my ear, there was a quiet click followed by a familiar voice.

"Yeah, what is it?" He sounded annoyed—it was late, after all, I could hardly blame him. My voice didn't seem to want to come forth, so I cleared my throat quietly and forced myself to speak.

"…Kaname?" My former enemy's tone quickly shifted from annoyance to concern—he could probably tell how badly my voice was shaking better than I could.

"Midori? What's going on?" Human terms of endearment intrigued me, even in the condition I was in at that moment. The psychic sharpshooter had started calling me 'Midori' for a few different reasons—obviously as a reference to my hair color.

"I…really screwed up, Kaname. I don't…I don't know who else to talk to, I don't—" My voice cracked and I fell silent…my sudden weakness both scared me and enraged Youko.

_//You sickening, pathetic girl! How dare you sink so low as to turn to a __human __for help! You disgust me—don't think you won't suffer for this later!//_ I ignored her for the moment: certainly she would make good on her threat, but I wasn't concerned with that at the moment.

"Calm down, Midori. Just tell me what happened." It was then that something inside my mind broke—the entire story came spilling out in a shaky, near-tearful mess. Patience has never been one of my marble-throwing friend's best-known traits—but just because it wasn't well known didn't mean it was nonexistent. To this day, he listens better than most, and that night was no exception as he stayed silent until I was finished with my shaky recounting of recent events.

"I just…don't know what to do anymore, Hiei-sama might really hate me and—" There was a quiet sigh on the other end of the line—of course, Hiei-sama and Kaname had what you might call unresolved issues involving the sharp end of a sword, but I knew he realized how serious this was, beyond any hostility he might have still had towards Hiei-sama.

"…Listen to what I'm about to say very carefully, Midori." His voice held a surprisingly serious tone, and yet I felt slightly reassured—it was the kind of tone Kuronue might have used in a situation like this. "I'm not going to sugar-coat it: you're right, you screwed up. But even though that's true, your intention was to protect him. Am I right so far?" Automatically, I nodded—then felt like an idiot for forgetting we couldn't see each other.

"Y-yeah. Right." I managed to choke out.

"If he has half a brain, he'll realize that. You both need to talk as soon as possible, Midori. Show him your heart, tell him what you really feel. If he's anything like you always say he is, he'll understand." A long silence passed…I thought about everything Hiei-sama and I had been through and how much pain I was in now that it might all end…

"You're right…I'll talk to him. Thanks, Kaname, I really owe you for this." He laughed softly, and I suddenly felt like I had missed some kind of joke.

"You don't owe me anything, Midori. You saved my life, and I'm going to do all I can to repay you." An awkward silence settled in… "…Let me know how everything turns out." There was a quiet click on the other end of the line, then silence. I couldn't help but smile to myself—he thought he owed me something and he would repay that, whatever it took.

…Just like Kuronue would have.

I replaced my phone on the nightstand and stood up. My actions were reckless but my intentions good...all I needed to do was show Hiei-sama my heart and everything would be fine.

end of chapter sixty-one


	62. Identity

Chapter 62: Identity

I knew Hiei-sama would be around somewhere—he always was, especially when I least expected it. So I ended up wandering to my favorite park, the place I had first met Hiei-sama. The place where it had all started. It was actually quite nice that time of year, the weather pleasant and the wind gentle as I sat on the railing of a stone bridge overlooking a small, quiet river.

_//Just give up, foolish girl. You betrayed that fire demon just like you betrayed Kuronue when you told that three-eyed freak you loved him. // _Youko's voice seemed to carry a bit more cruelty than usual that day. Her onslaught didn't end there, either. _//You haven't even told him about Kuronue, have you?! Are you just trying to forget all about him, traitor?! He doesn't even know who Silrowen's mother is, am I correct// _I didn't answer…I couldn't answer. Had I even so much as mentioned Kuronue's name to Hiei-sama? No, of course not—perhaps I feared he would think what I had believed to be the truth for so many years.

…He would blame me for Kuronue's death.

Even worse, he might even leave for fear that the same would happen to him—yes, this improbable scenario was what stopped me from telling him, not to mention the much more likely situation in which he would become jealous, demand to know if I had ever compared him to Kuronue; in a way, I had at first, but I knew they were different. But Youko had a point…Hiei-sama had a right to know about Kuronue and Silrowen. If we reconciled, I swore to tell him.

"Naoko?" Although I hadn't heard Hiei-sama walk up behind me, his voice unnerved me more than startled me. This was it; I would find out if he despised me for what I had done.

"…It's beautiful here, isn't it?" I said quietly, speaking more on impulse than anything else. "The water's sparkling and clear, the wind moving through the trees…it's just so beautiful." There was a short silence behind me.

"…We need to talk." At his words, I took a deep breath and sighed. Kaname was right; I had screwed up and now I had to face the music, as it were. I turned to face him, keeping my seat on the railing.

"Yes, Hiei-sama…you're right." He still looked angry, I noticed…thankfully, he didn't look quite as upset as he had before.

"Why did you do something so stupid?" he asked—demanded, rather—watching me coldly.

"I…I had to, Hiei-sama. I couldn't let anything happen to you—" He cut me off before I could finish.

"Maybe that was part of it, but it wasn't _just_ that." he snapped, and it occurred to me that maybe he was more hurt than angry. "In fact, Naoko…I think you wanted to prove yourself." Those words and the cold look in his eyes cut deeper than any katana. All I could do was stare at him in shock, slowly realizing that he was right. A long, tense silence crept in like storm clouds, settling in just as threateningly…I had wanted to prove myself. I was sick of thinking I was recognized only as Kurama's little sister, I wanted to step away from that…and perhaps even out from under the suffocating darkness that was Youko…

I wanted to be Naoko. Just…Naoko.

The silence pressed down upon us and I found myself threatening to falter under Hiei-sama's cold stare. For a moment, I was lost as to what to do next…

"_Tell him how you really feel. If he's anything like you say he is, he'll understand."_

I realized there was only one thing left to do…I had to show him my heart.

"…You're right. I guess it was partly about proving myself, Hiei-sama." I glanced away, almost afraid to make eye contact. "But…I wanted to protect you, and I failed. Rather…I chose the wrong way to do it." For whatever reason, my next sentence came without me thinking about it—it just came out, sarcastic tone and all. If Hiei-sama hadn't been listening, he might not have even heard it. "_Youko_ Naoko would never have been that pathetic…"

"You're _not_ Youko Naoko anymore! Don't let her control you!" Hiei-sama's sudden change in tone made me snap to attention and look directly at him--those two sentences came like a slap to the face. I had never breathed a word of Youko's presence to anyone, so I'm almost certain Hiei-sama was speaking metaphorically; he had no idea of how real, for lack of a better word, that remark was to me. His tone had turned from one of anger to…was that determination? It was suddenly as if he wasn't quite as upset—rather as if he wanted me to realize something. I, however, was still focused on what he had said seconds before. It was true, I certainly wasn't Youko…and why was I letting her control me? The scars and bruises on my arm told me the obvious reason; but why should I let her continue treating me like this?

"Hiei-sama," I managed to say, still rather stunned, "I—" If I had been allowed to continue, I'm certain I would have spilled out the truth about everything: Youko, Kuronue, Silrowen…_everything_.

"Baka kitsune." Hiei-sama cut me off yet again, crossing his arms in annoyance. "What really pisses me off is that you put yourself in danger to protect me. I can protect _myself_ just fine." Before I could stop myself, I thought/_Yeah, Kuronue always said the same thing. /_

"I know that, Hiei-sama, I just…can't stand to see you get hurt." He watched me for a moment, expression frustratingly unreadable.

"Just…remember this the next time, alright?" Next time? There was going to be a next time?

"You…mean you're going to forgive me?" Hiei-sama smirked slightly.

"Yeah. Just try thinking next time, foxgirl." I got another chance…it wasn't over. Before even I knew it, I had nearly left my feet and thrown my arms around Hiei-sama. I was so happy to be forgiven and granted another chance…

I never told Hiei-sama that I might never have worked up the nerve to talk to him if I hadn't spoken to Kaname first. I wonder how he'd react, knowing that someone who resented him at the time very well could have saved our relationship.

end of chapter sixty-two


	63. Confrontation

Chapter 63: Confrontation

Speaking of Kaname, an interesting thing happened a day or two later that I can't help but laugh to recall, and recall it here for little more reason than I happened to remember it. I think it was the next day or perhaps two days after we had reconciled; Hiei-sama and I were walking to a sushi restaurant I had and still am known to frequent. What can I say; they have excellent green tea ice cream. At any rate, things were back to normal. We talked casually, and I was actually enjoying myself—Youko hadn't said a word, but telling Hiei-sama about Kuronue couldn't possibly have been further from my mind. As we drew nearer to our destination, a strange feeling began to creep up on me…almost a sense of foreboding, as if something was going to happen.

Oh, if only I could have guessed.

"Naoko? Is something wrong?" Hiei-sama asked. I realized I must have grown quiet, wondering about the strange feeling that had presented itself. But I simply pushed it back and smiled.

"No, nothing." Shortly after, we walked into the quiet restaurant, the strange apprehension all but gone. The two of us had hardly taken three steps before I heard someone speaking:

"Hey, Midori." The voice was familiar, but the nickname even more so. Mentally, I kicked myself…my luck was abhorrent. I just _had_ to bring Hiei-sama to the _one_ place in Mushiyori City where Hagiri Kaname was standing, clueless as to the impending doom that was standing next to me in a spiky-haired, crimson-eyed form.

"Er…hey, Kaname." I managed to reply, the slight apprehension rearing its ugly head as a full-blown case of panic that I could barely hold beneath the surface. The last time my friend and my romantic interest had crossed paths, shots had been fired and the sharp, pointy end of a sword had been involved. Of course, the calm before the storm was bound to pass, and pass it most _certainly_ did when Hiei-sama and Kaname made eye contact. A sudden tension seemed to enter the room, a fourth unseen occupant in this soon-to-be fiasco. Hiei-sama, however, was perfectly calm and even casual…Kaname was the one that hadn't _quite_ forgiven a sharp object coming within inches of his heart. His expression had turned from casually friendly to cold and emotionless—the only way Hiei-sama and just about everyone else knew him.

"…Funny seeing _you_ here." As I'm sure I've said before, Kaname's a lot like Kuronue.

…Perhaps a little _too_ much in the way that he tends to take stupid risks that not even Kuronue would have dared to. Pissing off Hiei-sama, in this case, was easily one of his most idiotic moments.

"So what?" Hiei-sama replied calmly. The tension seemed to escalate slightly—I could have sworn I felt the room getting warmer, but that could have just been Hiei-sama trying to intimidate Kaname.

…Who, by the way, didn't need intimidating. His hands were in the pockets of his bright red jacket—most likely prepared to start throwing any manner of small objects—and he was inching back just slightly. That was unlike him, so I knew he must have been terrified under that calm expression.

Once bitten, twice shy, perhaps.

"Kaname, calm down." I cut in, trying to defuse the situation before it exploded. I made a point to be sure I was standing between them so as to stop the fire, marbles, swords and bullets that could potentially start flying. Unfortunately for him, clever as he might be, Kaname's mouth has almost always worked faster than he could think.

"Are you kidding, Midori? Do I really need to remind you that he tried to kill me?!" Instantly, I knew he regretted it—I know _I_ did. Before I could stop him, Hiei-sama shot back coldly,

" 'Do I really need to remind you' that you tried to destroy the human realm?!"

The sudden dead silence that followed probably only lasted a second or two, but it felt like a solid hour. Hiei-sama had, completely unaware, struck the one nerve that no one should ever try to strike.

"…What the hell did you just say?" Kaname's voice had gotten dangerously quiet, and cold enough to even make Touya flinch. Back then, Hiei-sama had no _idea_ of how seriously Kaname took that one sentence. I could have sworn I saw Kaname start to take his right hand out of his pocket, and Inari knows what kind of chaos would have started had he thrown something.

"Kaname!" I said sharply, hoping he'd realize that a sushi bar in the middle of a city was _not_ the place for an idiot to bring a gun to a swordfight. (Yes, it usually goes the other way around, but this is Hiei-sama we're talking about.) He glanced over at me, then back at Hiei-sama, silent for a moment before replying with:

"Whatever, Midori. See you later." With that, he walked right past Hiei-sama like he wasn't even there and left; back to the cold, calculating person the fire demon only knew him as.

…Like I said, Kaname can be kind of an idiot like that.

end of chapter 63


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